Here at TORQ, we are passionate mountain biking and with our home Olympics now in full swing, one of the events we will be watching with extreme interest is the Mountain Bike race, taking place at Hadleigh International Farm in Essex on the 11th and 12th August.

The TORQ-fuelled Anytime Fitness MTB Team

Dan McConnell and Bec Henderson are an Australian duo who ride for the TORQ-fuelled Anytime MTB Race Team (Check out the team’s website here http://anytimefitnessmtb.com/ for more info), a top level pro team from down under who are fully supported by TORQ Australia. Dan and Bec are the current National XC Champions and have so far both had exceptional race seasons, achieving multiple career best results.

Bec leading a train of TORQ riders at the Australian National XC Champs

20 year old Bec is attending her first ever Olympics having been Australia’s strongest female rider this season and takes the single place that Australia qualified with for the women’s race. From racing in the U15 age group to the U23 age group Bec has taken a record of 8 National XC titles and 3 Oceanic titles! Outside the Olympics, Bec races in the under 23 female category at World Cups and currently lies 2nd in the UCI MTB World Cup Series having finished 2nd or 3rd at 5 of the 7 rounds of the series. She has also taken a number of wins in the Australian National Series and the Swiss Bike Trophy as well as taking the Oceanic MTB Champs U23 title in New Zealand, so is in flying form ready for next weekend! For more info on Bec’s Olympic preparation see her blog here http://bechenderson.com.au/site/.

Dan at the Australian National XC Championships earlier this year.

27 year old Dan races in the senior elite category and has had an equally exceptional season, taking his second National Title and producing some excellent World Cup results. Dan has been finishing consistently in the top 30 at World Cup XC races throughout the 2012 season and achieved his career-best result of 21st at La Bresese in France at Round 4. This will be Dan’s second Olympic Games having accomplished a credible 39th place finish at the Beijing in 2008. Dan will be Australia’s only male athlete in the Mountain Bike Race after being the highest ranked Australian in the UCI rankings this year, currently lying in 41st. For more info on Dan check out his blog here http://danielmcconnell.com.au/site/.

We wish Dan and Bec all the best as they take on the challenging course at Hadleigh Farm in Essex (obviously we will also be cheering for British riders Annie Last and Liam Kileen too who are both phenomenal athletes). You can see them in action in the women’s race at 12:30 on Saturday and the men’s race at 13:30 this Sunday. 

Thanks to Russell Barker for the pictures https://picasaweb.google.com/104779027862947223273.