Jeff Rubach and Ruth Corset win Rural, Rainforest and Reef 70km Mountain Bike Challenge

PORT DOUGLAS, Australia (June 1, 2014) “The RRR (Rural, Rainforest and Reef) Mountain Bike Challenge is regarded as one of Australia’s most thrilling and exhilarating ‘point to point’ endurance races. The iconic 35km and 70km events lived up to the ‘RRR’ expectations with a record field of participants and sensational race conditions in Tropical North Queensland. A record field of over 600 participants, across both distances, lined up at the Mt Molloy start line to make their way through the diverse terrain to the famous Four Mile Beach, Port Douglas finish line.

The RRR Mountain Bike Challenge is a highly anticipated event on the Cairns Airport Adventure Festival line-up. The 2014 festival kicked off in Port Douglas today with the Coral Coast Triathlon, RRR Mountain Bike Challenge and Hekili Great Barrier Reef Ocean Challenge.

The riders lined up at the start line on the original bump track, which was the main bullock track from Port Douglas to the gold fields during the gold rush days around the 1870’s. In the 70km race, a 6km start loop took riders around a small part of the property, then brought them back through the start lined with spectators and cheering fans.

“Wetherby Station is the perfect race venue to showcase the rural elements of the course, featuring the cattle grates, bump track and revisited the old original homestead. There is no other mountain biking race in Australia that can boast a course like ours,” said IRONMAN spokesperson.

In the 70km men’s race, Jeff Rubach from Townsville Queensland, pedalled fast across the Four Mile Beach finish line claiming victory once again.

In the women’s 70km race it was another win for Townsville resident, Ruth Corset, who crossed the line dusty and dirty.

Cairns Airport Adventure Festival Ambassador, Courtney Atkinson, put the pedal to the metal in the 70km men’s mountain biking race and blistered home in 6th position. Atkinson was covered in head to toe in mud and couldn’t wipe the smile off his face.

“What an epic race. Thank you for having such an incredible event on the festival line-up.”

“To be able to start up at Mt Molloy and finish on Four Mile Beach here in Port Douglas is just perfect. Mountain biking is so different to triathlon, it’s something I enjoy outside of my profession and today’s race was like no other.” said Atkinson.

With winding 4-wheel drive trails, shocking single track and steady climbs, riders pass isolated waterfalls, hundred year old rainforest trees and the occasional cassowary “there is no doubt that three diverse terrains are dominated and this is a must-do event on the mountain biking race calendar.

70 km Results

Male

1. Jeff Rubach 02:53:13
2. Adam Cobain 02:55:50
3. Nelson Tilley 02:57:27
4. Daniel Rubach 03:00:09
5. Bevan Mason 03:02:52
6. Courtney Atkinson 03:05:24

Female

1. Ruth Corset 03:29:30
2. Jasmine McMillan 03:45:51
3. Kaila Ridgway 03:45:53
4. Kylie Burrows 04:19:30
5. Sandy Perkins 04:22:27

35km

Male

1. Dominic Hoyal 01:17:56
2. Josh Prentice 01:18:34
3. Timothy Illes 01:24:23
4. Oliver Phillips 01:26:46
5. Timothy O’Dwyer 01:26:47

Female

1. Natalie McNamee 01:48:24
2. Lana Lockyer 01:50:38
3. Rosie Titley 01:50:52
4. Caroline McGann 01:52:25
5. Anna Taylor-Hyde 01:52:41

For a full set of results visit www.cairnsadventurefestival.com

The 2014 Cairns Airport Adventure Festival runs from 1 – 9 June 2014.