Olympic XC Race
Comments
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njee20 wrote:This will suit its intended purpose very well, there are some excellent technical features, and the multiple lines will make for great racing! I've got my tickets and I can't wait! It'll be all the better for not having whinging morons like yourself there pointing out how much quicker your 2 year old would be on their balance bike with their hands tied behind their back!xx
Just seen this thread and particularly this post. See the latest issue of Singletrack, there's an interview with Martyn Salt which I think you'll like....0 -
I've spoken to Martyn at length about the course, I know he thinks highly of it!0
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njee20 wrote:I've spoken to Martyn at length about the course, I know he thinks highly of it!
It is a very good course however I had the 'what if I get this wrong' thing going on in my head and it was bang slap in the middle of my GCSEs so I couldn't afford to make mistakes. It just lacked a couple of nice flowing bits really.0 -
There's a few photos from the test event here:
http://www.velovert.com/information/417 ... dversaires
http://www.velovert.com/information/417 ... ul-que-ca-
Mostly of Absalon, but hey, it's a French website!0 -
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VWsurfbum wrote:
that drop looks ok
Its such a wierd course mind, Like super smooth trundling along, then suddenly some imported rock for 3 feet.0 -
I recon it could be fun? depends how much speed you can hold leading up to the drops etc?Thewaylander wrote:VWsurfbum wrote:
that drop looks ok
Its such a wierd course mind, Like super smooth trundling along, then suddenly some imported rock for 3 feet.
but it must be weird, super smooth mixed with big gnarly rocks :?0 -
I watched the men's and women's test event this weekend and the course was quite a bit better than I'd been lead to believe. There are a number of technical features - the big drop in the photos being the most spectacular but plenty of other rocky and steep sections. The fast bermed descent has two rocky jumps on it too. What's more there may not be long climbs but they are tough - these were the best riders in the world and they were crawling up these climbs. Most of the climbs featured tight switchback turns which a lot fo the riders were battling with, as well as "stopper" rocks on the steep bits which they had to boost over. There were a number of falls in the men's and woman's races.
I think the biggest thing the organisers took into account was the specator access and this is superb. You can watch from virtually the entire course and from certain places you can see lots of sections simulataneously. of course, on Sunday there were only 4500 people there compared to 19 000 for the main event so this will be affected.
I would very much like to ride this course. however having spoken to some of the ground staff it seems like whilst the course will remain there it will be significantly "dumbed down" for the general public - on "Elfin Safety" grounds.0 -
clanton wrote:I watched the men's and women's test event this weekend and the course was quite a bit better than I'd been lead to believe. There are a number of technical features - the big drop in the photos being the most spectacular but plenty of other rocky and steep sections. The fast bermed descent has two rocky jumps on it too. What's more there may not be long climbs but they are tough - these were the best riders in the world and they were crawling up these climbs. Most of the climbs featured tight switchback turns which a lot fo the riders were battling with, as well as "stopper" rocks on the steep bits which they had to boost over. There were a number of falls in the men's and woman's races.
I think the biggest thing the organisers took into account was the specator access and this is superb. You can watch from virtually the entire course and from certain places you can see lots of sections simulataneously. of course, on Sunday there were only 4500 people there compared to 19 000 for the main event so this will be affected.
I would very much like to ride this course. however having spoken to some of the ground staff it seems like whilst the course will remain there it will be significantly "dumbed down" for the general public - on "Elfin Safety" grounds.
Woh now Damon..
No one said anything about a big drop now?
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Its such a wierd course mind, Like super smooth trundling along, then suddenly some imported rock for 3 feet.
[broken record]It's a race course. It's not a trail centre.[/broken record]
I've heard nothing but good things having spoken to a couple of guys who raced at the weekend, consensus was that it was a great course and raced really well.
I have to wonder why a riding god like the Waylander wasn't on the entry list though? Did you invitation get lost in the post? :roll:0 -
njee20 wrote:Its such a wierd course mind, Like super smooth trundling along, then suddenly some imported rock for 3 feet.
[broken record]It's a race course. It's not a trail centre.[/broken record]
I've heard nothing but good things having spoken to a couple of guys who raced at the weekend, consensus was that it was a great course and raced really well.
I have to wonder why a riding god like the Waylander wasn't on the entry list though? Did you invitation get lost in the post? :roll:
Did i state that i was a riding god?
Did i state in that one it was a crap course? no i didn't so wind your neck back in eh i said it was wierd as it is extremely man made, a comment that a guy who races XC (Surfbum) agreed that it swaps styles very fast from the veiws we have had of it.
Cor i was trying to be a little supportive for a change and now you go mouthing lol0 -
My riding god comments were more aimed at your 'I don't see a big drop' comments - which I realise were in jest, but it still makes you look a little daft IMO. Hey ho.0
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Lol it's not a big drop though
it's nice to see a drop feature in an XC route, and i'm impressed with whats there for a drop but your never gonna get big drops on an XC course thats simples.0 -
I just drove past the track, still can't get too close to it still :roll: but did see the specialized team leaving 0
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Thewaylander wrote:clanton wrote:I watched the men's and women's test event this weekend and the course was quite a bit better than I'd been lead to believe. There are a number of technical features - the big drop in the photos being the most spectacular but plenty of other rocky and steep sections. The fast bermed descent has two rocky jumps on it too. What's more there may not be long climbs but they are tough - these were the best riders in the world and they were crawling up these climbs. Most of the climbs featured tight switchback turns which a lot fo the riders were battling with, as well as "stopper" rocks on the steep bits which they had to boost over. There were a number of falls in the men's and woman's races.
I think the biggest thing the organisers took into account was the specator access and this is superb. You can watch from virtually the entire course and from certain places you can see lots of sections simulataneously. of course, on Sunday there were only 4500 people there compared to 19 000 for the main event so this will be affected.
I would very much like to ride this course. however having spoken to some of the ground staff it seems like whilst the course will remain there it will be significantly "dumbed down" for the general public - on "Elfin Safety" grounds.
Woh now Damon..
No one said anything about a big drop now?
*Shrug* each to his own. This is the cross country forum, it is a cross country course for cross country riders on cross country bikes. Steve Peat and the lads would no doubt find it a doddle - on 8 inch travel full suss bikes with body armour and full face helmets and slack head angles, having walked the course a few times, practiced a few times etc etc, and having a course that is all over in (an intense) four minutes. However that is actually irrelevant. The riders doing this drop are on carbon fibre hard tails with 80-100mm travel forks and steep, nose-over-the-wheel geometry, lightweigth helmets and skinsuit lycra. They race for 1 1/2 hours with heart rates maxed almost all of the time. Watching them actually do the drop, standing over the drop and seeing it in the flesh as opposed to in photos, I do think it is a big drop - and it was clear that many of the competitors felt it was too.0 -
clanton wrote:Watching them actually do the drop, standing over the drop and seeing it in the flesh as opposed to in photos, I do think it is a big drop - and it was clear that many of the competitors felt it was too.
Are you talking about the "Leap of Faith"? From the top it looked big to me, but from the bottom it looks like I could ride it (but I'm darn sure I couldn't!!). The Swedish guys didn't seem to like it too much on the first practice - all unclipped at the top and had a 5 minute pep talk about the best way to get down it
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mikeyboy12345 wrote:clanton wrote:Watching them actually do the drop, standing over the drop and seeing it in the flesh as opposed to in photos, I do think it is a big drop - and it was clear that many of the competitors felt it was too.
Are you talking about the "Leap of Faith"? From the top it looked big to me, but from the bottom it looks like I could ride it (but I'm darn sure I couldn't!!). The Swedish guys didn't seem to like it too much on the first practice - all unclipped at the top and had a 5 minute pep talk about the best way to get down it
No - the Leap of Faith is the drop right at the far side of the course - it is basically just a steep chute though there is a small drop off the rooty bit at the top that might be tricky to ride. At the bottom it is sandy and some of the riders washed out here.
The drop we're talking about is the first one - the one that features in all the photos where they have three lines, the right hand most has a drop off a rock onto a steep slope of rock slabs. Strangely they haven't named it.0 -
@ Thewaylander
I've read this thread completely and quite frankly your opinions seem to be utterly retarded. I think you're talking out of your ar@e and from a standpoint very far away from the sport of XC MTB.
I spoke with a training buddy of mine called Chris Minter whom came 40th in the recent outing there. He's an elite category XC MTB rider and thinks the course is very good. His opinion would seem reasonably valid. Your arguments seem very arm-chair oriented.0 -
Page23 wrote:@ Thewaylander
I've read this thread completely and quite frankly your opinions seem to be utterly retarded. I think you're talking out of your ar@e and from a standpoint very far away from the sport of XC MTB.
I spoke with a training buddy of mine called Chris Minter whom came 40th in the recent outing there. He's an elite category XC MTB rider and thinks the course is very good. His opinion would seem reasonably valid. Your arguments seem very arm-chair oriented.
And you are rude, so i don't count your opinion at all
And if you read the thread you will see half my point is i don't think XC is suitable representative sport for MTBing to be used in the Olympics. not unless DH is shown too. Otherwise another format is needed.0 -
BUT as much as i like watching the world cup DH, its too not represetitve of mainstream MTB'ing as they dont have to pedal uphill?
"Most" people recognise cycling as having 2 wheels and having to peddle, but that said watching XC can be quite dull :roll:0 -
Good use of the word "most" i approve 0
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I watched them build the course, I've even had a few sneaky goes on it, even got kick off the course once by an official looking person working there, ( i had just gone over the handle bars on a descent at the time so wasn't going to argue as still a bit dazed) .
To me the technical bits are good, I don't think I'll ever try the "leap of faith way too hard for an average joe like me, but we are talking about elite athletes here racing this course.
Will it ever open to the public, Never, land is owned by the salvation army, which is why there was a blanket ban on alchol at the test event.
Now that the test event is over and most of the infrastructure has been removed, I'll be going back on it to play around a little, pretend I could have been a contender, whilst training for the winter race series.0 -
Hi folks.
Watched the XC Test event and it was most impressive, most riders seemed to have no problem with the tricky parts such as the leap of faith, the 3-option rock drop part and the snakey boulders run, on all 3 of these there was a 'chicken' run but few took it and if they did it added quite a seconds to their run !
I too have had a few sneaky goes on the above parts, the leap of faith isnt too bad, just need the nerve to do it for the first time, gotta be careful of that berm/corner at the bottom though.
Just returned from a holiday in Morzine/Les Gets where there are far more scary/challenging tracks but then again they are mostly for serious DH'ers, I'm just hopeing that the olympic legacy leaves a half decent track and isnt completely santised for kids/familes so it ends up being rtaher dull.
Andy0 -
I spoke to a colleague the other day and they said they had a letter through the post stating that because of insurance etc the track will be turned into a ramblers pathway!0
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Sounds about right,
It's the simple fact if we injure ourselves on a track owned and maintained by the local council its perfectly fine to sue them because it's there fault were dumn enough to think we could survive a trail beyond our possible skill levels.
yey the Uk legal system... Not0 -
Right from the start I believed that we would never see the track left for the intened use it was built for, anyone know how many of our taxpaying £££££££ were used for this?
They talk about the olympic legacy which will be left, I read some where that part of the Hadleigh legacy was the new fire station at Rayleigh wier, and the old Hadleigh station being handed over for the community....... I'm surely missing the point........ what part of the XC track is the legacy then with our ££££££ of our taxpayers money !! :x0
