Auckland’s Chris Birch seemed unstoppable as he romped to victory at the New Zealand Enduro Championships last year and he has now started off the 2015 edition of the competition with the same scintillating domination.

The seven-round KTM-sponsored series kicked off in the Riverhead Forest, west of Auckland, on Sunday with the Glen Eden rider still firmly in charge at the top of this gruelling off-road motorcycle sport.

The 34-year-old Birch (KTM) won all six of the event’s tightly-timed special stages to finish the day just over a minute ahead of fellow Kiwi international Paul Whibley (Yamaha), now back in New Zealand permanently after more than a decade competing in Europe and the United States.

“I was quite surprised that I won every special test today,” said Birch afterwards.

“I actually didn’t feel as though I was riding that well. I have been doing a lot of rider coaching sessions lately, but that doesn’t involve me riding at race pace and I had to lift it to another level today.”

However, although Whibley obviously challenged Birch on Sunday, a clash of dates with his preferred cross-country racing campaign means Whibley will not be able to push on and continue to challenge Birch.

The next round of the enduro series is set for Whangamata in less than two weeks’ time, on February 14, the same date that Whibley will begin his New Zealand Cross-country Championships campaign in Hawke’s Bay.

And that might mean that the rider who finished third overall on Sunday, Howick teenager Liam Draper (Husqvarna), could be the one to watch as the enduro series progresses.

“I enjoyed the racing today and I showed I have good speed,” said Draper, also an accomplished moto trials rider and also currently racing national championship level motocross.

“I’m getting better and better at enduro racing now and hope to do a lot better than last year, when I broke my thumb at round three. My aim is to finish this year without injuring myself and also to race the motocross nationals.”

Birch also led the battle-within-a-battle for his individual class honours on Sunday, finishing top of the Expert over-300cc four-stroke class, while Draper leads the Expert under-200cc two-stroke class.

Whangamata’s Jason Davis (KTM) leads the Expert over-200cc two-stroke class after round one, while Coatesville’s Sam Greenslade (KTM) secured the lead in the Expert under-300cc four-stroke class and Tokoroa’s Sean Clarke (Husqvarna) climbed to the top of the Expert veterans’ class.

Round three is near Wellington on Saturday, March 14, followed by round four near Christchurch on Saturday, April 4, with round five just two days later, near Mosgiel on Monday, April 6. Round six is at Waimiha on Saturday, May 9, with the seventh and final round set for Tokoroa on Sunday, May 10.

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

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