British elite cross-country rider Billy Whenman insists Hadleigh Farm is worthy of hosting the mountain biking at London 2012 having had a sneak preview of the course.

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (Locog) were forced to switch to the 550-acre site overlooking the Thames estuary in 2008 after the UCI branded the proposed course, at Weald Country Park, as too easy.

Construction on the Olympic course began 14 weeks ago but is already 60 per cent complete, with course builder Martin Sedan given a deadline of March 2011 to hand the site to Locog before a test event in August.

And, after testing his mettle on a number on Hadleigh Farm’s technical sections, Whenman believes the complete course will be the best in the country.  

“We haven’t been around the whole course but it’s definitely both technical and physically demanding,” said Whenman.

“I’d say it’s on par if not better than Dalby Forest – it’s really technical.

“The climbs aren’t very, very long but they’re steep and it’s the steepness that gets you, not how long they are.

“I like all the technical bits but it’s a shame the other downhill section isn’t finished yet. That’s going to be really fun to ride.

“It’s going to be good because it’s right on my doorstep so everyone can come and watch various parts of the course from one spot.”

Locog came in for criticism after deciding to host the mountain biking in notoriously flat Essex, rather than spread the net of the Games further afield in Great Britain.

But Head of Sport Competition David Luckes, who competed at three Olympics as a hockey goalkeeper, was quick to set the record straight.

“The elevation of Hadleigh Farm is greater than it was at Beijing – it’s 70m from top to bottom whereas there it was only 55m,” he said.

“We’re dispelling those myths about flat Essex. What we have here is a great, challenging environment for the athletes.”

And UCI technical delegate Peter Van den Abeele has given the course the thumbs up.

“Following a recent visit to the Hadleigh Farm mountain bike venues we are extremely happy with the work that is happening on site,” said Van den Abeele.

“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 rocky descents will provide a stunning, challenging course for mountain biking and that it will be a great event in London 2012.”

Legacy was a key component of London’s bid to host the Games although no clear plan has been set for the venue post-Games with organisers locked in discussion with the Salvation Army, who own the land.

But Locog chairman Lord Sebastian Coe, twice an Olympic gold medallist over 1,500m, is adamant Hadleigh Farm will provide a world class venue for generations to come.

“Hadleigh Farm is a stunning venue, in line with out concept of a compact Games and it will have an excellent legacy,” said Coe.

“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.”

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