After finally getting his hands on the Red Bull Romaniacs trophy, you might have thought New Zealand’s Chris Birch would be enjoying some time out of the saddle…
Well, it’s true that he headed off to Colombia for a quick holiday, but, of course, he packed his trusty KTM bike for the trip. We caught up with the Kiwi speed merchant after his guest appearance at the Colombian National Enduro Championships.
So, Chris, how has Colombia been treating you?
It’s been an awesome place to be, I’ve been hanging out with Colombia’s top Enduro rider Juan Esteban Reyes and it’s been really cool. The Colombians are seriously into their Enduro and the excitement caused by the races was special to see.
Over the weekend you rode two stages of the Colombian National Enduro Championships. That must have been pretty easy for a rider of your experience?
I don’t know about that! The first race started off really crappy for me with a big mistake. I had got up a decent speed and swerved to avoid a tree – that’s when I hit a hole in the ground and went over the handlebars. The crash broke my little finger, but I ignored the pain and just carried on. The organisers were definitely not giving anything away for free with the trails they set up. The course was quite technical and very difficult, that’s for sure.
'Believe it or not, this was supposed to be a holiday…' – Chris Birch
You said you had been hanging with Juan Esteban Reyes, and Red Bull’s Giovanni Sala was over from Italy. Any of the local talent in Colombia catch your eye?
There was this local kid called Santiago and he was really flying. His time was right up there, but unfortunately he had a big crash at the end of the second race – it was a shame, because he was doing so well. It can only be good for Enduro in Colombia that they have a 17-year-old rider that has a bright future ahead of him.
The Andes seem like a top training ground for Enduro riders with Chaleco Lopez from Chile going well in the Dakar. What’s your take on Enduro in this part of world?
One thing that impressed me about this trip to Colombia was how well-attended the races were – there were far more people coming to watch than you see in other parts of the world. There’s so much excitement surrounding the sport over here. I also think that more and more top riders will come out of South America because the terrain over here is so perfect for Enduro riding.
Coming here and hitting the trails seems a bit of a ‘busman’s holiday’, Chris… what else are you planning to do in Colombia, now the race is done?
Believe it or not, this was supposed to be a holiday – that was until I went and broke my finger. Even with my injury, though, it has still been a really good trip. I’ve met up with so many cool people, enjoyed the weather and got a couple of days riding done. Now I’m free until I go back to New Zealand, so I’m going to play the tourist – I’m planning a trip to a coffee plantation.
Predrag Vuckovic/Red Bull Photofiles
After your wins at Red Bull Romaniacs and The Roof of Africa, would it be fair to say, ‘the more brutal the better for Birchy’?
I just love the adventure of Red Bull Romaniacs. Yes, it’s pretty brutal at times, but that’s what makes it a real adventure. It was so nice to finally win after chasing it for four years. The Roof of Africa is another really tough event and the trails are always brutal. For the first day’s racing last year, they had us riding over rocks for 10 and a half hours straight, you can’t help but feel beaten up at the end of that. Again, though the whole thing is pure adventure – Lesotho is such an amazing country and you see so much wild stuff during the race.
With so much success on the bike there’s few people better qualified to pass on the skills need for Enduro riding – what can you tell about your Off Road Coaching Program?
We do a whole mix of things for riders at all levels. We help people prepare for big races – right now we are working with a couple of guys who want to do the next Red Bull Romaniacs and the Dakar. A while back I helped out Adrian Broughton, and this year he won the Expert Class at Red Bull Romaniacs, so that was pretty sweet. The most important work we do with beginners is teaching them how to get the best out of their bikes. Even in bike shops there is a lack of knowledge about setting up a machine for Enduro, so this is where we come in.
Rumour has it that your 30th birthday is coming up later in the year – what do you still need to achieve to avoid a mid-life crisis?
The 2012 Dakar is in my sights, that’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. Until then it will be about doing as many rallies as possible to prepare for the Dakar. I’m really looking forward to the World Extreme Enduro Championships [WXEC] kicking off in 2011. It will be the first proper world championship for the sport that I love.
The WXEC includes Hell’s Gate in Italy, The Tough One in England, Red Bull Romaniacs in Romania and Roof of Africa in Lesotho. With Chris already owning the titles of the last two races, expect the Kiwi to be a major player in the inaugural WXEC!
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