The TORQ Team colours were flying high as three male elite riders finished in the top ten at the second round of the National Mountain Bike Series at Wasing Estate, Berkshire. With three riders in the top 10 and a fourth in 13th place, TORQ’s strength in depth as a team is now clearly starting to shine through.
A very determined Tim Dunford (Photography: www.joolzedymond.com)
From the outset of this ‘team-building’ roller coaster ride, Matt and I have simply asked for the guys to grasp the opportunity that they have been given with both hands and commit 100% to the program laid out for them. The pressure of riding for the most professional and endorsed MTB team in the UK is not to be sneezed at, but Sundays results showed that with dedicated riders and raw talent, TORQ can help mould them into a better racers. This was clearly proven by one of our youngest riders, Ben Thomas, who finished in 6th place amongst all of the UK’s top elite racers. Ben’s dedication, commitment and willingness to learn sets an example to all riders by showing what can be achieved with hard work. He was joined by Andy Blair in 8th place and a very determined Tim Dunford in 9th. Also worthy of a mention is TORQ-fuelled Billy (whiz) Whenman who led the race on the first lap, snapped his chain and still managed to get back to 11th, still with a smile on his face. Anthony O’Boyle came home in 13th. All in all it was a ‘good day at the races’.
Anthony O’Boyle – Not stopping to pick the pretty bluebells young man? (Photography: www.joolzedymond.com)
Ben Thomas said after the race “After racing the world cups over the last couple of weeks, I was confident that my race pace would have increased since the first round of the British XC series. I was excited about the race and hopeful of a good result. From the start my legs felt pretty good jumping up the grid well into the top 10. After a bit of argy bargee where I probably wasn’t aggressive enough to hold my position a group of 5 riders quickly began to escape. Over the next few laps I caught and overtook riders who were beginning to suffer on this tough course, which really sapped all your energy. Going into the last couple of laps, I was catching riders capable of winning a national quality race. I was in 6th place and just 20 seconds from the podium. Gareth Montgomerie was in 5th place and my target. On the last lap I got within about 5 seconds of him, but wasn’t able to close the gap any further. It was a massive pleasure to ride over the finish line to collect 6th place, especially this early on in the season. My training has been going well but this result now gives me even greater motivation to break into the top 5 to reward the team and sponsors for the commitment they’ve shown. Bring on the next set of races!”
Tim and Ben warming down, or ‘letching’, we can’t decide
Sincere thanks to our sponsors once again:
www.konaworld.com – Frames
www.sram.com – Groupsets, Suspension Forks and Brakes
www.met-helmets.com – Helmets
www.ritcheylogic.com – Handlebars, Stems and Seatposts
www.schwalbe.com – Tyres
www.exposurelights.com – Advanced Lighting
www.juicelubes.co.uk – Lubrication
www.lakecycling.com – Shoes
www.jagwireusa.com – Cables and Housing
www.crankbrothers.com – Pedals
www.bikeboxalan.co.uk – Bike Boxes
www.fizik.com – Saddles
www.superstarcomponents.com – Hubs and Headsets
www.alexrims.com – Rims
www.sapim.be – Spokes
www.maxgear.co.uk – Glasses, Compression, Tools
www.champ-sys.co.uk – Performance Cycle Clothing
www.joolzedymond.com – Photography
www.fibrax.com – Brake Hardware
www.sport-torque.com – Torque Wrenches
www.cycleops.com – Power Measurement, Turbo Training and Bike Racks
www.notubes.com – Tyre Sealant
www.portablepressurewashers.co.uk – Cordless Pressure Washing
Follow the TORQ Performance MTB team’s progress on their facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/TORQ-Performance-Mountain-Bike-Team/110217305676815
