The £800,000 ($1.2 million) construction of the venue began in July - with some of the course's key features now complete - and work is on schedule to be completed well in advance of a test event next summer.

Peter Van den Abeele, technical delegate of the UCI, said: "Following a recent visit to Hadleigh Farm we are extremely happy with the work on site.

"Great progress has been made which reflects exactly where we want to take the sport over the coming years, making the course more accessible to spectators and improving television images.

"We are confident the combination of technical climbs and steep rocky descents will provide a stunning, challenging course for mountain biking and that it will be a great event in London 2012."

The venue covers a 550-acre site - encompassing farmland owned by the Salvation Army and the adjacent country park - and will host Olympic competition on August 11 and 12 in 2012.

It is being delivered by Essex County Council in partnership with London 2012.

Essex county councillor Stephen Castle, cabinet member for the 2012 Games, told insidethegames: "Having this event in Essex is a huge boost for the county and it is fantastic to be able to see the course taking shape as our Olympic dream becomes a reality.

"We are fully committed not only to delivering a first class London 2012 Olympic discipline here but also to creating a lasting legacy from the event for the local community to cherish for many years to come."



The course is situated on an open hillside, which is a new concept for mountain bike events as they are typically held in forested areas.

The venue offers some fantastic gradients and superb viewing opportunities for spectators, with 40,000 people expected to attend over the two days of Olympic action.

The course has been designed to provide a physical and technical challenge for the world's leading riders in 2012 with multiple climbs and descents across the five kilometre circuit.

Sebastian Coe, the chairman of London 2012, said: "Hadleigh Farm is a stunning venue, in line with our concept of a compact Games, and it will have an excellent legacy.

"I am very grateful to Essex County Council and the Salvation Army for their hard work in making this venue happen.

"The course is shaping up to be a challenging one with multiple climbs and descents.

"I believe that the mountain bike competition will be one of the most exciting events at the London 2012 Olympic Games."

A separate legacy plan is being developed for how the venue will be used afterwards.

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