After several years working with Kona, the hugely successful TORQ Performance Mountain Bike team have changed frame sponsor.

Matt Hart, director of TORQ says “We have had a close working relationship with Paligap over the years (they distribute TORQ products) and they have been heavily involved with the Kona brand, but in 2011, Kona distribution moved directly to Europe, so this gave us the opportunity to consider another brand to work with. We had a number of brands interested in sponsoring the team, but we chose Whyte because they’re a British premium brand with unrivalled attention to detail at the core of their philosophy. Clearly we viewed these ideals as having an obvious synergy with the premium TORQ brand and we’re excited to be working in partnership with them. We’re looking forward to building on the successes of previous years with Whyte on board.” 

Ross Patterson, Whyte’s Sales & Marketing Director commented “Racing has been part of the Whyte brand ethos since day one. We’ve followed the success of the TORQ team with a great deal of interest over recent years and this was far too good an opportunity to miss. TORQ’s Mountain Bike team are always stealing the headlines and they present themselves extremely professionally and have a very strong, recognisable image. We can’t wait to get the team onto the custom-liveried top of the range Whyte carbon 20c and 29c frames in 2012.”

The official launch of the 2012 TORQ Performance Mountain Bike Team will be on Saturday 1st October at Cycle 2012 at the NEC.

Below: An unconventional use for a fine bike frame by Matt ‘Hendrix’ Hart (just need some strings).