Image: Supplied.

It was a perfect weekend for TM Racing’s Wil Ruprecht at round five of the WPTGlobal FIM EnduroGP World Championship in Slovakia, standing on the top step of the podium both days.

The double victory marked a commanding rebound for the Australian who gained valuable ground in the EnduroGP standings after a challenging fourth round in Portugal.

Ruprecht mastered the muddy conditions to take victory by over a minute on Saturday, ahead of points-leader Andrea Verona, before a thrilling conclusion on Sunday saw the number 57 best Steve Holcombe by just 0.450s to secure P1.

“The tracks were so slippery this [Sunday] morning with the overnight rain,” Ruprecht explained. “I went out hard this morning and it worked for me building a big lead. But I suffered for it on the final lap. The 15-minute enduro test was tough work. Steve was coming back strong, but I just managed to keep him back. Overall it’s been awesome to bounce back like this with a double win.”

The TM rider trails Verona by just 11 points in the EnduroGP title race with two rounds remaining. His performances in Slovakia also saw him take a double victory in Enduro2 and extend his lead to 18 points in the category.

Fellow Australian Daniel Milner – who scored a breakthrough EnduroGP podium in Portugal – finished seventh in Enduro1 on Saturday before mechanical issues forced him out of day two.