Dalby Forest in North Yorkshire have contacted London 2012 to offer themselves after Weald Country Park in Brentwood was ruled out because it is too flat.

 

They have not been put off even by the fact that last week Sebastian Coe, the chairman of London 2012, told Welsh Government officials that Margam, near Port Talbot, in South Wales, which had also put itself forward, would not be considered.

 

Hadleigh Farm, near Southend, is expected to be named as the venue in the next few weeks.

 

The £400,000 trials in Dalby Forest, near Pickering, boasts England's most extensive network of mountain bike trails which opened last year.

 

It boasts 34 miles of purpose-built and sustainable routes near Pickering.

At the time of the launch, the Forestry Commission said it hoped the all-weather network could be used for Olympics training.

A spokesman for London 2012 said: "We're still fully committed to finding somewhere in Essex.

 

"If there comes a point where we can't do that, we'll reconsider."