MOTORCYCLE champion Daryl Bolter made a disappointing start to his British Enduro campaign, when one mistake in the final test of the day saw him plummet from first to fifth.

The traditional season opener, the Muntjac Enduro in Thetford Forest, Norfolk, saw riders competing for six hours straight.

It was Bolter's first competitive outing on a 250cc four-stroke bike, having enjoyed his greatest successes riding a less powerful but lighter 125cc machine.

Initially, he seemed to adapt well, recording the fastest overall times on both the first and second runs through the sandy Muntjac special tests.

Heading into the third and final test he was on course for victory.

Going into the final test with a three second lead, Bolter should have played it safe but opted to push hard to stay ahead of his rivals.

But luck was not on his side and, right at the end of the test, as he was braking on a fast straight, he skidded and stalled.

The hot race engine took a full 12 seconds to restart, long enough to destroy his hopes of registering his first overall victory at the first time of asking.

He reflected: "I can't explain how disappointed I am.

"By winning the first two tests I'd put myself in a strong position to win the event.

"The new 250 Husky is so quick I felt confident I could beat the other guys.

"The first test didn't go perfectly but I still managed to win. Then on the second test I again made a few small mistakes and won.

"The third and final test started perfectly. I knew I was riding faster than on the first two, and then I hit a small hole coming into a corner and fell.

"It was a stupid little crash but then my bike stalled, and that was it - my result went out the window.

"The next British round is at Elgin over Easter, then we fly straight to Spain and then Portugal for the world championship rounds the week after, so I need to focus and try to claw some points back."