Hobart athlete Alex Hunt targets eighth Freycinet Challenge crown on state’s East Coast this weekend
Hunt is on for a “crazy" eighth Freycinet Challenge multi-sport title.
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AFTER winning the three-day Red Bull Defiance race together at Mission Beach, in Far North Queensland recently, Hobart brothers Alex and Robbie Hunt are rivals for the 2023 Freycinet Challenge Australian multi-sport championship on the East Coast this weekend.
Alex, 32, won his seventh Freycinet title on the trot last year but not without a fight from Robbie, 28.
Robbie led the men’s individual race at the end of day one and Alex had to dig deep to get the better of him on day two.
“He led early on day one, and I caught him on the time trial, and he snuck through me on the mountain bike,” Alex said.
“Then I had to work pretty hard to get him on day two.”
After teaming up in Queensland, it’s business as usual on home territory.
“We are probably more used to this setting rather than racing together,” Alex said.
“We kind of still look out for each other while we’re out there _ we race to beat each other but if there’s anything I can do to help him I’ll do my best.
“It would be so cool to see him win, then again I’m hoping not going to let that happen.”
Alex spent years trying to win the Freycinet Challenge before he finally broke through in 2014 to start what has become a phenomenal winning streak.
“It’s crazy. It still seems like I spent more time trying to win than having won seven _ those years that I didn’t win see a lot longer, that’s for sure,” Alex said.
Their competition increases this year with the entry of road cycling and mountain biker star Kaine Cannan, of Margate.
“He has been one of the best road cyclists around for the past 10 years and he recently got into paddling, so it will be interesting to see how he goes,” Alex said.
The race kicks off on Saturday with a trail run (17km), sea kayak (10km), road bike (40km) and mountain bike (18km).
On Sunday, the field tackles a sea kayak (10km), road bike (40km), mountain bike (21km) and trail run (10km).
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