Olympic Mountain Bike Venue Gets Into Gear

Excellent progress is being made on the London 2012 Olympic Mountain Bike venue, with some of the course's key features now complete. Construction of the course began in July 2010, and work is on schedule to be completed in advance of a test event in summer 2011. The London 2012 Olympic Mountain Biking events are scheduled to take place at Hadleigh Farm in Essex on 11 and 12 August 2012. The venue covers a 550 acre site, encompassing farmland owned by the Salvation Army and the adjacent Country Park. It is being delivered by Essex County Council in partnership with the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG). The course is situated on open hillside – a new concept for Mountain Bike events, which are typically held in forested areas. The venue offers some fantastic gradients for Mountain Biking and superb viewing opportunities for spectators: a large part of the course will be visible from many places. It has been designed to provide a physical and technical challenge for the world’s leading Mountain Bike riders in 2012, with multiple climbs and descents across the 5km circuit. A separate legacy plan is being developed for how the venue will be used following the 2012 Games. Essex County Councillor Stephen Castle, Cabinet Member for the 2012 Games said: 'It is fantastic to be able to see the course taking shape as our Olympic dream becomes a reality. 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. I look forward to seeing further developments as we get closer to the 2012 Games.' Sebastian Coe, LOCOG Chair, 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 to 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.' Peter Van den Abeele, Technical Delegate of the International Cycling Federation (UCI) said: 'Following a recent visit to the Hadleigh Farm Mountain Bike venue we are extremely happy with the work that is happening 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 that 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 Mountain Bike course is being constructed on land owned by The Salvation Army, and Project Manager Major John Warner said the church and charity organisation is privileged to be involved in the venture: 'The Salvation Army has been at Hadleigh Farm for more than a century and we are committed to working with the local community, Essex County Council and LOCOG to ensure an exciting Olympic experience for everyone. 'We are also continuing discussions with Essex County Council to create a lasting Hadleigh legacy and want to ensure the community that The Salvation Army is particularly mindful of any impact this may have on current farming operations, our tenants and local residents.'