TORQ have certainly made an impact at many of the races this year, in fact TORQ products have made quite an impact on many bodies this year, including my taste buds.

When I first met Matt Hart I was trying to find a suitable energy product that would help me stay fuelled for long days in the saddle as a mountain bike guide. I had tried numerous energy bars, gels and drinks, but either my stomach complained or else I couldn’t bear the taste. Although I don’t train for anything specific, I need to be able to ride all day, 5-6 days a week, and then have enough energy left over to be dragged out by my wife Cotic Bontrager racer Kate Potter, on my one day off, to participate in what she calls ‘a really fun interval session’ (not!).

I tested a mouthful of apricot TORQ bar a couple of years ago, bought a box of TORQ bars, which took seconds to devour, and the rest is history. I not only use TORQ energy drink to keep my legs moving, but also love a bar as a treat at the end of a ride. As I spoke to Matt more and more at the races, he’s not one to stay silent for very long hence the name ‘TORQ’, I discovered more about fitness and nutrition. My racing days finished in the 90’s, so I wasn’t trying to find out about how I might re-shape my self in time to take on the Masters at the races. I just wanted to ensure I was doing everything I could to feel stronger for longer when working as a guide and also to ensure I still had enough energy to Mountain Bike with friends after work. There is nothing worse than working as a guide all week and then feeling too tired to actually ride for myself on my day off.

The more Matt and I discussed the concept of improved performance, nutrition and recovery, the more I wondered about how many riders out there actually focus on their mountain bike technique and skill to the same degree. While I never think about improving my fitness, I’m constantly working on increasing my skills and teaching others how they can be more efficient. Kate Potter is a good example of someone I introduced to mountain biking three and half years ago, who at the time had good general aerobic fitness, but now has excellent balance, technique and can ride the most technical terrain. All her skills have improved dramatically over the past couple of years, but Kate still knows she can be quicker with more skills practice, as well as more physical training as set down by her coach Matt.

Matt and I decided to team up in 2005 by offering TORQ Inspirational Weeks in the French Pyrenees. Before you start thinking that these particular weeks are only fitness camps, then you better think more along the lines of a week of Mountain Bike inspiration. The week is what you want it to be and attracts a wide range of Mountain Bikers, the only comparison between guests is that they all love to ride mountain bikes and have a desire to improve.

TORQ Inspirational weeks focus on every aspect of mountain biking, from riding for pleasure to learning more about how ‘you’ the individual can improve your fitness and Mountain Bike skills, along with plenty of socialising and great food to keep you smiling. Matt supplies never-ending boxes of TORQ bars, energy drink and ribose that will keep you buzzing.

Each day is broken into guided riding, optional seminars in the late afternoon, and technical skills sessions on the trail. Matt spends a couple of hours discussing several performance and training topics to help individuals understand more about their own fitness, nutrition and how they can improve their endurance and power on the bike. While I cover technique, skills and bike set up to help you become a more efficient or even a flashier rider to show off to your buddies back home.

The TORQ Inspirational weeks are a great laugh and Matt I must say is pure entertainment, while also being a very knowledgeable coach and nutritionist in his own right…

A few comments from guests –

‘Thanks to you Kate for letting me follow you and figuring out at last where my feet were supposed to be.. and Ian for being a really fab coach and making me laugh so much when I kept getting it wrong!! What a huge difference the TORQ week has had to my riding .. less effort for more output’! (Anita)

‘Matt, Kate and Ian all spent a significant amount of time with each of us giving their advice and sharing previous riding experiences to help prepare both mentally and physically for the 24hr SSMM event, and their enthusiasm for Mountain Biking never failed to inspire me to ride. The opportunity to devote a week to training for SSMM and ride new trails, meet and ride with new people, learn new skills and gain a greater understanding into training and nutrition have all contributed to improving my riding skill and fitness in preparation for my first attempt at riding 24hr solot. Most importantly, it was great fun!’ (Ian)

I have just returned from Luchon and a week with A Quick Release Holidays/TORQ Fitness in the French Pyrenees; okay so this is a first foreign cycling excursion for me but if this is the standard then this week has set a very impressive benchmark.

It is very difficult trying to condense the good buzz from the whole week into only a short paragraph without waffling on, but the location is superb with excellent riding right on the doorstep of the hotel. Energy sapping climbs are rewarded with equally energy sapping, but exhilarating descents, on varied trails – fire road, rocky, loose, dusty, rooty, wooded, you name it Luchon can offer it all.

Russ the chef fuelled us up each day on good quality hearty food, including homebaked cakes and coffee in the afternoon to keep things ticking over until dinner.

AQR’s Kate and Ian Potter offer a fantastic cycling holiday experience; the only problem is that I have got to go back to ride the many other trails that just can not be squeezed into one week. (Keith)

This is the second mountain biking holiday I have been on and I have to say, it has made me want to go on more. Everything about it was extremely well organised, the accommodation was good and had a central location to both the trails and the town centre and the food was outstanding. All abilities were catered for taking in skill sessions, intensity and distance. At times I felt I was being pushed to the limit of my abilities, but found that as the week passed, I was learning and had adapted. The scenery was stunning, the trails are fast, the climbs are fun and the town had lots of bars, restaurants and shops. This holiday is obviously organised by very experienced guides. Get it booked, 9/10. (Steve)

‘This is my third TORQ week in Luchon in the Pyrenees and it just gets better every time I go there – the riding, the food and the company’ (Viv)