Red's coaches to compete in cycling 'Epic'
The QR Reds’ high performance coaching staff will be under pressure this weekend when they perform in Australia’s premier mountain bike event, the Flight Centre Cycle Epic.
With Queensland players away on a tour of Ireland or on Wallaby duty, the Reds’ high performance coaching department will take on their own physical challenge when they compete in the Epic.
The event gets underway this Friday with the Peppers Mega Epic Prologue, where riders will begin at Limestone Park in Ipswich, before finishing at Hidden Vale in the Lockyer Valley.
The Peppers Mega Epic two-day race will then commence early Saturday with a ride to Toowoomba and resume on the Sunday as part of the Flight Centre Epic Classic marathon.
The three coaches, Brynley Abad, Jamie Youngson and Matt Taylor will compete over 50km of the Epic course through the Lockyer Valley, west of Brisbane.
“The slave drivers are under pressure to perform this time,” coach Abad said.
“We wanted to get a few players involved but most are away, so it’s down to us.”
Abad says he used to ride a road bike, but is now sold on mountain biking after taking it up earlier in the year.
“Getting out and about and away from it all in a forest is unbelievable and it’s always a good challenge,” he said.
Abad says that more Reds players would be encouraged to take up mountain biking during the off-season after the coaches prepared for the Epic with rides around Daisy Hill and Mount Coot-tha.
“It’s a good way to cross train and shed some kilos without doing weight bearing exercises such as running,” he said.
Held each year since 2003, the Epic follows a 100km course along the Bicentennial National Trail traversing the four valleys, following the historic Ma Ma Creek and crossing Laidley and Edwards Gaps to finish at Old Hidden Vale.
For more information on the Flight Centre Cycle Epic, including entry fees and how to register, visit www.cycleepic.com.au.
