There’s never been anyone like him. Australia has produced some truly great riders, like Jeff Leisk and Toby Price for example, but there’s only one Chad Reed. A laser-focused, insanely competitive rider with exceptional skills and balls of steel.
Chad stared down the absolute greatest riders of the modern era, including names like McGrath, Vuillemin, LaRocco, Windham, Carmichael, Stewart, Villopoto and Dungey, and never flinched. Before he and Ellie packed their bags for Europe to battle Mickaël Pichon, he did the same in Australia where he seemingly out of nowhere came upon a race pace that the likes of Craig Anderson, Lee Hogan, Danny Ham and Cam Taylor had trouble matching. Absolute belief in himself matched with sublime skills pushed Chad’s career forward. His cornering speed was amazing. His timing…