Mark Matthews - Assistant Coach
Mark’s passion for cycling started from a very young age watching Tasmania’s Christmas Carnivals over many years before taking up the sport at age 15. With some good coaching and a lot of determination, Mark excelled in the sport. During his cycling career Mark won races and was placed in a number of major and minor wheel races. He was an A Grade rider on the track and a scratch man on the road. He also won and placed in numerous Australian and Tasmanian championships on both road and track. His favourite form of track racing was six day, Madison and point score and a hard handicap chase on the road.
Mark’s highlight as a cyclist was when he raced professionally in Belgium, not only finishing races but also winning some ‘housekeeping money’ to help ends meet. During his stay in Europe Mark also competed in track races in Denmark. Due to a number of reasons Mark started in the sport of triathlon and success was immediate, winning Tasmanian and Australian championships in triathlon and duathlon. He was selected to represent Australia three times as an elite athlete. During this time, swim coaching became a part of Mark’s life as a means to help with the costs of his own swim training. A swim and triathlon coaching career started which has now lasted 20 years.
As a coach Mark was thrilled when son Jack started cycling as it gave him a chance to coach and advise Jack as a cyclist. This leads to the present where Mark is coaching a number of athletes while acting as an Assistant Coach of the Pure Tasmania and Deloitte Cycling Team. Mark’s passion is to compete in the Hawaii Iron man at age 50.
Mark is married to Bernadette and together they own and operate one of Launceston’s leading jewellery stores. “Jack is an inaugural member of the Pure Tasmania and Deloitte Cycling Team and our family is proud to be a part of it. We are excited about Jack’s future and that of the team because it gives Jack and his team mates the opportunity to travel and compete at a national level and at such a young age, this level of competition will only help consolidate their later years”.
Current eqipment -
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Frame - Ridley Excalibur
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Group Set - Campagnolo Record
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Wheels - Campagnolo Bora
