Construction of the course, which cost £800,000 ($1.2 million), began in July 2010 and work is now complete ahead of the test event at the venue scheduled for July 21, 2011.

The London 2012 Olympic mountain biking events will take place at Hadleigh Farm on August 11 and 12, 2012 with ticket prices ranging from £20 to £45 ($28 to $63) and concessions such as Pay Your Age available.

The five kilometre circuit is situated on an open hillside, a new concept for mountain bike events which are typically held in forested areas, while the venue offers some fantastic gradients for mountain biking and superb viewing opportunities for spectators, with large sections of the course visible from many locations across the site.

"This course has an amazing backdrop and the guys who are putting the broadcast together have already said to me that they think this will be the shot that will surprise most people," Coe told insidethegames.

"Most people do not close their eyes and think of Essex in this way but if you look at what a stunning location it is, this is extraordinary."

Exactly 50 men and 30 women are set to take part in the mountain bike event at London 2012 with the women's competition on August 11 and the men's medals being decided on August 12.

The venue will be able to accommodate 20,000 people a day during the Olympics and covers a 550 acre site encompassing farmland owned by The Salvation Army and the adjacent Country Park.

Over 500 tons of rock and 3,500 tons of crushed stone have been used to create the course which has been designed to provide a physical and technical challenge for the world's leading Mountain Bike riders.

"The International Cycling Union (UCI) asked for a tough course and I think we have found them a course the will match any mountain bike course anywhere in the world," Coe continued.

"The course is challenging with multiple climbs and descents for the riders to tackle and I believe that the Mountain Bike competition will be one of the most exciting events at the London 2012 Olympic Games."


Coe was one of the first people to ride the completed course, alongside Stephen Castle, the Essex County Council Cabinet Member for 2012 Games.

"I am extremely proud that construction work on the London 2012 Olympic Mountain Bike course has been completed on time," said Castle.

"We are committed to delivering a first class London 2012 Olympic discipline and a course that will test the world's finest mountain bike riders.

"It is fantastic to see the course being tested by members of the GB Cycling Team as we move closer to our Olympic dream becoming a reality."

The pair were accompanied on their ride around the course by Great Britain Cycling Team members Liam Killeen, David Fletcher, Kenta Gallagher and Lily Matthews.

"The excitement of competing in a home Games is building fast and seeing the finished course whets the appetite even more," said Killeen.

"It's a challenging course that will bring out the best in everyone and should make for a fantastic race for both the riders and spectators."

A separate legacy plan is being developed by Essex County Council for how the venue will be used following the 2012 Games, which is set to see the course decreased in difficulty for the public to use.

The course includes the yet to be named climbs, rocky descents and north-shore timber framed structures which will provide opportunities for riders to take advantage of their technical abilities throughout the races.

All schools in Essex, Southend and Thurrock are able to take part in Essex County Council's "name the feature" competition to decide the name for four of the features on the course.

Pupils from Hadleigh Junior School joined the event today to see the site first hand and receive their Get Set Network certificate to mark their work on using the Olympic and Paralympic values throughout the life of their school, as part of the London 2012 education programme.

The name the feature competition is open until April 28, 2011.

At the London 2012 mountain bike event, all riders start together and must complete a set number of laps of the course, with races lasting around one hour and forty-five minutes for both men and women.

There are no heats in either of the events with the first rider to cross the finish line awarded the gold.

The first official mountain bike World Championships were held as recently as 1990 while six years later, cross-country mountain biking made its Olympic debut in Atlanta.

Applications for tickets for the Olympic Mountain Biking are being accepted now until 11.59pm on April 26, 2011 at www.tickets.london2012.com

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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