And one of the most challenging of features awaiting the competitors from 36 countries who will arrive at the gorse-strewn location with views over the sea this summer is the 'Rock Garden'.

In Lillistone's phrase, it's "a sea of rocks".

Lillistone was speaking here at today's announcement of improvements and alterations to the Olympic course, which is on land owned by the Salvation Army adjoining the Country Park, run by Essex County Council.

Both landowners have also announced plans for the post-Games legacy, which will see the course expanded and given over to the public.

"Hopefully this will become the most challenging Olympic mountain bike course in history," said Steven Castle, the Essex County Councillor who is Cabinet Member for Education.

Based on feedback from riders and the International Cycling Union (UCI), parts of the course will be widened to offer more opportunities for athletes to pass and new features added to increase the technical difficulty of the course.


"Effectively there's more climbing, it's a wider course, allowing riders to get around corners and have more opportunity to pass each other, and it's going to be faster and tougher," said Lillistone.

"This is a very technically challenging course on a very open landscape.

"It's very hilly, and although there are small variations it is pretty relentless.

"Both men's and women's race finishers will climb higher than Scafell Pike.

"We've made quite a few changes to the course, and these are now in place, although there is a lot of construction work still going on to get the venue ready.

"The start loop has been altered to ensure there are no bottlenecks on the course and make sure the flow of riders is as clean as can be.

"For the first lap there is a new climb off the starting loop.

"We have also installed a larger climb with a very challenging feature – the Rock Garden.

"It's a sea of rocks.

"We have also widened the majority of switchback areas to make the corners flow better.

"At the end of Snake Hill we have a split section where riders can choose which lane they want, and instead of it being riders going through one by one there are greater opportunities to pass."

Phil Saxena, legacy course designer, explained that the Olympic course would retain its technical difficulty after the Games, but would be adapted to offer an alternative, easier route.

There will also be less challenging courses set up elsewhere in the park.

"We will be setting up recreational trials for people getting into sport which will act as a good introduction to cycling," Saxena said.

"The Olympic course has got some very technical features and a will be a good test for the Games.

"We will maintain every technical feature in that location but we will also provide slightly easier options, so we will have an intermediate blue loops as well as the most challenging red loop, all riders will have options.

"It will mean riders developing their skills in a controlled and safe environment and hopefully building up their level of expertise."

Essex County Council, in partnership with the Salvation Army, have released their detailed proposals for the heritage of Hadleigh Farm and Country Park.

As well as retaining and adapting the Olympic course, they will improve the wider network of trails and paths for a range of different users, improve facilities in the area for community and visitors, and instigate a number of projects to enhance the environment.

"Our legacy proposals are about bringing those parcels of land and organisations together to make use of the mountain bike course but also to make best use of what is already there," said Barbara Mills, of Essex County Council.

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