Kiwi international Chris Birch finished the New Zealand Enduro Championships on Saturday the way he started it back in February, by winning.

The Auckland man didn’t even need to show at the weekend’s sixth and final round of the KTM-sponsored series at Waimiha, near Benneydale, because he’d wrapped up the championship overall and also won his over-300cc four-stroke class with a round to spare after also having dominated the day at round five near Kawhia three weeks previously.

But, with several major overseas competitions now on his horizon, the Glen Eden rider decided he’d use Saturday’s national championship finale as the start of his international build-up.

The 33-year-old Birch won five of the six rounds this season, ending the series ahead of Mokau’s Adrian Smith (Yamaha YZ250) and North Shore rider Chris Power (Yamaha WR450F) in the outright stakes and ahead of Power in the over-300cc four-stroke class rankings.

Birch now prepares himself to contest the Dacer Rally in Canada in June, an 800-kilometre one-day enduro, before he heads to Romania for the big annual Romaniacs Extreme Enduro, in the unforgiving Carpathian Mountains, from July 15-19.

“I’ve been working towards the Romaniacs for the past two months,” said Birch. “It’s not something you can just show up at and ride it. It takes a lot of work beforehand.

“Waimiha is always a tough place to ride … mostly because of all the tree roots. And it was quite slippery in places too. I was a bit grumpy with myself at the start of the day on Saturday because I didn’t think I was riding very well at all. But I calmed down and rode intelligently after that and things improved.”

Morrinsville’s Simon Lansdaal was a revelation on Saturday, taking a 125cc Husqvarna to finish the day in the overall runner-up spot, crossing the line just 24 seconds after Birch.

However, although Lansdaal was, obviously, also top finisher in the under-200cc two-stroke class on Saturday, it still wasn’t enough for the 21-year-old fitter/turner to dislodge Kaikohe’s Mitchell Nield (Yamaha YZ125) from the top position in this class.

Nield finished the day seventh overall and clinched the class crown by a meagre four points.

Other Expert Grade class winners after Saturday’s final round were Smith (over-200cc two-stroke); Wainuiomata’s Jake Whitaker (Husqvarna FE250, under-300cc four-stroke); New Plymouth’s Dougy Herbert (Husaberg TE300).

Intermediate Grade class winners were Helensville’s Tom Buxton (KTM 200XC, under-200cc two-stroke); Ngaruawahia’s Kelvin Babington (KTM 250EXCF, under-300cc four-stroke); Auckland’s Bryce Williams (KTM300EXC, over-200cc two-stroke); Taumarunui’s Cody Davey (Honda CRF450, over-300cc four-stroke); Thames’ Natasha Cairns (KTM200XC, women’s class); Waihi’s Steve Price (KTM250EXC, veterans 40-49 years); Helensville’s John Buxton (KTM300EXC, veterans over 50 years).

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

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