Dalby World Cup: Day Zero
From Luke Webber, In Dalby Forest, Yorkshire
It's day zero at Dalby and already Adderstone has been transformed. Almost every team has overcome the volcanic ash and engineers have installed a mobile phone mast and internet on site. Dalby Forest is looking every bit a World Cup venue and we have some exclusive first shots of the site, with course updates.
THE COURSE:
Following two weeks of dry weather and no rain predicted for the racing weekend, the course at Dalby has been transformed into a dusty subsoil, with definitive racing lines emerging - especially in the gully of Worry Gill - and larger ruts and holes developing at Medusas Drop.
The evolution of the course just twelve months since the British XC Series test event has been periodic and will continue until Sunday. The major changes made over winter, along with the settling of the initial and final singletracks have made the biggest impact when assessing the way in which the course rides.
Before, the rock was an uneven, slippery mess, which didn't encourage a great flow on the trail, and coupled with a middle section of climbing that didn't optimise the elevation gain for a great descent, riders were left thrilled, if not totally enjoying the mountain biking experience Dalby served up. So what's changed?
The opening singletrack no longer has a continuous ridge running along its centre, making the first red-grade trail lightning fast - and more importantly - predictable. Coming through Worry Gill for the first time the boulder field has been removed and a better entrance to the drop engineered; while the drop itself gains reinforcement and durability, without sacrificing technical difficulty. Indeed, Catherine Pendrel was one of the many riders to stop at the Gill and assess the situation before riding.
Perhaps the revelation of the course however, is Medusas Drop. Now climbing slightly higher, before descending through a series of switchbacks and into the Drop itself, both riders and spectators get good value, before a treacherous descent (or chicken run) drops to the feed and tech zone, in turn leading to the hardest climb of the race.
The biggest achievement of all though (perhaps discounting the advent of mobile phone coverage and high speed internet in an otherwise empty field) will probably be the one nobody mentions. Spectator logistics, along with TV access have both featured as highest priorities on the organisers' list, and it would appear they've hit a home run.
Eight minutes to Worry Gill, ten minutes to Medusas Drop; both routes on hardstanding and flanked by the course - so you'll miss none of the action on race day. And when you do arrive to your spectator hub of choice, live commentary, beer and food will follow, only serving to intensify the experience across the weekend.
WHAT THE RIDERS THINK
Feedback from the all event staff indicates that the riders are enjoying every aspect of the new Dalby course. Used for the first time in international competition, Adderstone Field is proving the ideal event hub, before competitors head onto a course of six kilometres, which demands total concentration throughout.
