Valley Force Husaberg’s Mitch Harper will this week line up for his sternest test since fracturing his spine back in April, when he fronts the starter at the Wildwood Rocks Extreme Enduro north of Melbourne on Sunday.

Harper, who won the inaugural event in 2010 then set the fastest Prologue time in last year’s event before DNF’ing with a broken hand, fractured his T7 and T12 vertebrae in a practice crash in Sweden in April this year.

The 21-year-old has worked hard to get back to his scintillating best and gained the support of Valley Force and Husaberg Australia in the process, but whether he’s back at his early season level or not, only Sunday’s event will tell.

“I’m feeling good and feel like I’m riding well,” said Harper. “But where I stand in relation to the best Aussie and international riders I have no idea, so it’s exciting for me to get the chance to find out.

“This will be my first major event since breaking my back and since moving to Husaberg so I can’t wait to get out there.

“But it won’t be easy, up against two of the world’s best extreme riders as well as Matt Phillips, who won the U23 World Enduro Championship.

“If it’s gnarly and wet it will get a lot more technical and Alfredo Gomez and Graham Jarvis will be a lot harder to catch.”

Harper will be mounted on the extreme bike choice, Husaberg’s TE300e throughout the upcoming Aussie Extreme Enduro season.

“It’s feeling natural to be on a two-stroke again and the light weight is really good for the rocky and technical stuff,” he added. “I love the way you can chuck it around like a trials bike in any conditions. It’s got four-stroke-like power but two-stroke weight.”

Harper will go head-to-head with international Husaberg duo Gomez and Jarvis, as well as last year’s winner Phillips.