XC Mens Olympic MTB Race - 2012

12 August 2012

Optimising space - 18 of us squeezed in to watch the XC Mens Olympic Race.

We never gave up hope for Burry to chase Kulhavy & Nino down with the help of Jose.

What an amazing race it was especially with Fontana losing his saddle in the last +-1km to the finish line.

FLTR: Janet, Elisca, Cecilia, Jason, Nicole, Hermien, Dave, Gerhard Bonthuys, Andy, Louis, Simon, Julie, Gerhard van Niekerk, Zane, Me, Liezl & Stu
Photo: Christiaan Botha

Women's XC MTB Olympics 2012

Arriving at Hadleigh Farm
Photo: Christiaan Botha



Welcome World
Photo: Christiaan Botha

With pure luck & only after being prompted by a Facebook status update I managed to get 2 tickets to the Women's Olympic mountainbiking. I could not belief it. It is funny though how your view over time changed about the Olympics, when we first applied for tickets we didn't want to settle for anything that was not of our interest & then once the Olympics arrived and we realised how hard it was to get any tickets, we were just happy to get any tickets.

Christiaan & I set off early from Raynes Park to get to Leigh-on-Sea. I broke my non-caffeine spell en-route. Nothing like a bit of caffeine to kickstart a good day.

I think the organisers did an amazing job by making the course so spectator friendly. It is a natural amphitheatre as people have reported. 

The volunteers was amazing, so non-Britishly-friendly. :-)

The day was full of excitement starting off with a fall by Gunn-Rita Dahle at the first technical descents. She was my race favourite & later pulled out.

My other favourite, current UCI World Cup Leader Catherine Pendrel got so much abuse from the commentator saying time & time again that consistency doens't bring you a gold medal. Although that might be a true, I was not impressed at all.

Christiaan & I made ourselves comfortable at Dean's Drop & stayed there for most of the laps before we moved over to the Rock Garden on the last lap & then walked to the Finish to watch the Medal Ceremony. As I said it was easy to choose a different spectating point after every lap.

What a privilage to experience an Olympic Event from Start to Finish, but not just any Olympic Event, the OLYMPIC MOUNTAINBIKING.

What a day?!

Annie Last from Tean GB took the lead on the 1st Lap
Photo: Christiaan Botha



Julie Bresset - France leading Lap 2
Photo: Christiaan Botha



Australia on the Olympic Ring berm, I loved her bike...
Photo: Christiaan Botha

 Our Proudly South African, Candice Neethling!
Photo: Christiaan Botha

View onto Snakehill from Dean's Drop
Photo: Christiaan Botha

Catherine Pendrel (UCI World Cup Winner) in the Rock Garden
Photo: Christiaan Botha

Medal Ceremony:
Georgie Gould USA (Bronze)
Julie Bresset France (Gold)
Sabine Spitz Germany (Silver)
Photo: Christiaan Botha

A friendly send-off after an amazing day