Racer feedback leads to more climbing, technical features, wider track
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Catharine Pendrel (Canada) celebrates her victory at the Hadleigh Farm International(Image credit: Tour of Japan)
British national team members help welcome the media and interested fans to the newly completed 2012 London Olympic Games mountain bike course in Hadleigh Park, Essex(Image credit: London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG))
Cannondale rider Paul Beales demonstrates one of the man-made features on the Olympic mountain bike course at Hadleigh Farm in Essex(Image credit: James Costley-White/BikeRadar)
Organizers of the 2012 London Olympic Games are making a few changes to improve the mountain bike course in Hadleigh Castle in Essex. The Olympic course will get more passing room, more technical features and more climbing according to the BBC.
The changes come after organizers took into account feedback from racers following last year's Olympic Test Event. Racers had said that the course was too flat and too narrow.
"It is wider and higher than for the Test Event and with the stunning setting of Hadleigh Farm, we are looking forward to a world-class Olympic event," said Debbie Jevans, LOCOG's Director of Sport to the BBC.
Passing will be increased at a few places on the course, including on the switchbacks on climbs. In addition, organizers have lengthened the main climb and added another technical feature into it.
The man-made course will be 4.7km long. On the first lap, racers will do a special start loop with extra passing and another climb added to it.
Fifty elite men and 30 elite women will compete in the Olympic mountain bike races on August 11 and 12 respectively.
