Australia’s Mitch Harper will take his skills to the world stage in 2013. Image: 404 Shots.

Victorian enduro champion Mitch Harper will go head to head with the world’s best in the 2013 MAXXIS FIM Enduro World Championship, joining the Honda Johansson MPE world enduro team.

The 21-year-old from Bright in Victoria is no stranger to the international stage having represented Australia at the International Six Day Enduro in Germany last year.

Harper competed in the last two rounds of the Enduro World Championship in France last year where in the junior class he finished up with a solid 11th place spot.

“I also went over there when I was 17-years-old and watched Stefan Merriman race in the last four rounds and I’ve just been keen for it ever since,” Harper said. “I’ll be really looking forward to racing and training with the world’s best.

“I’d be stoked with a top five finish in the Under 23 Class. I’ve got another Australian, Matthew Phillips, to compete against. He’s riding well and is pretty fast. It’ll be good to have a couple of Aussies over there.”

Harper will use a break in the schedule to return home and compete in various enduro events throughout Australia.

“I’ve got two months off before the last rounds in France where I’ll come back to Australia and compete in the A4DE and any other rounds of the Australian Off-Road Championships or the Victorian Off-Road Championships,” he added. “After the EWC, I’ll be back in time for the Wildwood Extreme.”

Harper will kick off his campaign with the Honda Johansson MPE crew on 16 March at round one of the series in Talca, Chile.