Olympic 2012 MTB venue press release

[dodgy]

Not sure if this is common knowledge on here, but there's so many possible places this could have been discussed

http://www.aroundtherings.com/articles/view.aspx?id=30420

Press Release-- London 2012 Venue Confirmed 8/11/2008 The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) today confirmed that subject to final contract negotiations, the venue for the Mountain Biking events will be at Hadleigh Farm, Essex.

I think the original venue was somewhere a little disappointing?

Dave.

 

[mondobongo]

Lots of Mountains in Essex!!!!

 

[ChrisKH]

Great!!! A stones throw from my house! I'm not a mountain biker, but it's overlooking the Thames Estuary next to Hadleigh Castle. Plenty of room there to develop it over the next four years to sufficient standard. Plus it's only 40 minutes by train from the main Olympic site. I'll see if I can find some pictures of the area.

 

[dodgy]

Google maps / Earth gives you a good overview. To be fair, it's pretty hilly, though nothing in comparison to what I consider to be real MTB country.

Dave.

 

[ChrisKH]

Here you go.

 

[Dayvo]

I think the original venue was somewhere a little disappointing? Dave.

Not really! From my home town :

http://panorama.org.uk/pages/southweald.htm

lovely for a walk and a picnic and a place to camp wild and shag your girlfriend , but definitely not a place to host a mountain bike competition, and certainly not for the Olympic Games! Stupid fools!

There is also a Roman camp in the park.

 

[Cathryn]

Feels like there's some money changing hands there!

 

[ChrisKH]

Feels like there's some money changing hands there!

Definitely. As much as I welcome the event to Hadleigh, it's not known for its mountain biking except to locals who have no other hills to climb. Unless they go to Wales for the weekend. Southend has been investing heavily in its biking infrastructure of late. I have no idea if they have any involvement.

However, it will be very picturesque and I can imagine a very good circuit around (and even through) the castle. Most of the land around there belongs to the Salvation Army which is why until very recently that Leigh on Sea (next door) was a dry town (i.e. no pubs, bar one).

 

[Keith Oates]

No pubs, should it not be renamed Sahara!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Ludwig]

Really the term mountain biking is very confusing as hardly anyone actually rides up a mountain on one of these bikes. Essentially what they are looking for is a cross country type course with a few gradients and challenging rough bits. In fact the industry is trying to drop the term mountain bike and use the more sensible all terrain biking. It would be nice to of had the all terrain event in Wales or Cumbria but it would be impractical. The tube doesn't go to the Brecon Beacons.

 

[Cathryn]

Wales would have been brilliant. As would Yorkshire have been. But never mind...? Essex is clearly much better....

 

[ColinJ]

It would be nice to of had the all terrain event in Wales or Cumbria but it would be impractical. The tube doesn't go to the Brecon Beacons.

The Beijing underground doesn't go to Hong Kong either but it didn't stop them holding the Olympic equestrian events there, 1222 miles away !

 

[Dayvo]

Wales would have been brilliant. As would Yorkshire have been. But never mind...? Essex is clearly much better....

Spot on, girl!