Chris Birch and KTM win Roof of Africa
Organisers called it the toughest Roof of Africa in history, but to New Zealand off-road racer, Chris Birch it was a gnarly event that he nailed as his own.
Described by locals as mountain goat in extreme enduro style, hopping from rock to rock, Birch took on 300 competitors for the Lesotho event, crossing terrain comprised of rocks, valleys, hill climbs and steep down-hills.
Commenting on his win Chris Birch said, “I entered the Roof of Africa on a standard KTM 300 EXC with Roost KTM and the bike didn’t miss a beat. These bikes are tough like the land we competed on, and the speed I was able to reach on the KTM 300 EXC held off competitors like second placed Yamaha rider, Jade Gutzeit from South Africa by 48 minutes and 37 seconds.
“There were seven KTM motorcycles in the top 10 for the final results of the event, so it was a big win for KTM all round. I took home the outright win and also the open class win.
“I covered over 450 kilometres of terrain in three days, finishing the event with a time of 15 hours 53 minutes and 36 seconds. The terrain was the best off-road terrain I have seen anywhere in the world, but not without its obstacles.
“On day two a sheep ran in front of me and I accidentally hit it. The sheep did not look to happy and neither did the farmer. I apologised and then rode on, it was really an unfortunate accident but the goat tracks were so tight and bent around corners you couldn’t see until the last minute if something was in your path.
“The event was totally exhausting but a whole lot of fun and I’m looking forward to returning next year to defend my title.”
On return to New Zealand, Birch will head to Waimiha to compete in the Grand National Cross Country Series where he currently sits fourth in the Championship.