Image: Supplied.

Former national 450MX and 250MX champion Zach Osborne will come out of retirement to compete in off-road competition full-time for 2023 after signing with the AmPro Yamaha team.

Osborne will enter the Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series in the XC2 category aboard a YZ250FX, as well as select US Sprint Enduro series races.

“I’m super-excited and grateful for this opportunity,” Osborne said. “My first conversation with Randy [Hawkins] about joining his team and the off-road community dates all the way back to the end of 2007, so for this to come to fruition at a time when I was looking for a new opportunity is just super-cool!

“I’m excited to get the season started in a few short months and I hope to make the team and our sponsors proud. I’ve been back to full-time training for about six weeks now and things are responding well heading into the holidays and my January training camp!”

Osborne was forced into retirement at the end of last year with ongoing back issues, but one year on will return in GNCC. He does have past off-road experience, however, representing Team USA in the International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) during 2013 and 2014.