The gap between Auckland’s Chris Birch at the top of the New Zealand Enduro Championship standings and every other rider is growing by the month. Can that margin be reduced this weekend?

Birch has won the past nine national enduro championship rounds, compiling an unbeaten six-in-a-row to win the title last season and now the first three of six in this season’s KTM-sponsored series.

And that means the 33-year-old Kiwi international from Glen Eden is obvious favourite to win again at round four near Christchurch this weekend.

The world-renowned Birch (KTM 350XC-F) is also winning the battle-within-a-battle for over-300cc four-stroke bike class honours.

However, Birch would be the first to admit that he can take nothing for granted as Mokau’s former national champion Adrian Smith (Yamaha YZ250), Auckland’s Chris Power (Yamaha WR450F), Kaikohe’s Mitchell Nield (Yamaha YZ125), Wainuiomata’s Jake Whitaker (Husqvarna FE250) and Feilding’s Freddie Milford-Cottam (KTM 250XC-F) are just a handful of very talented individuals who would pounce if there is any let-up by Birch.

Howick’s Liam Draper (Husqvarna TE125) had been one of the front-runners but he has now been forced to withdraw after being injured at the previous round in the Riverhead Forest.

The venues for all three rounds thus far have offered contrasting terrain and weather conditions and, whether it be mud or dust, hard-pack or sand, driving rain or scorching sun, the riders and bikes have coped well.

Most riders will know very little about the fresh national venue being set out on Peraki Station, on Banks Peninsular, near Christchurch, for action this Saturday and it will be sure to test them.

In the battle-within-a-battle for class honours, Birch tops the over-300cc four-stroke class; Smith dominates the over-200cc two stroke class; Draper leads the under-200cc two-stroke class; national moto trials champion Whitaker heads the under-300cc four-stroke class and Tokoroa’s Sean Clarke (KTM 250 EXC-F) leads the over-40 years’ veterans’ category.

Following this weekend’s event, the riders will head to Oparau, near Kawhia, for round five on April 19 and, finally, it all wraps up at Waimiha, in the King Country, on May 10.

© Words and photo by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com

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