With the UCI Mountain Bike world cup coming to Lake Placid, New York this weekend, Mount Van Hoevenburg went all out to prepare a track worthy of the world’s best. Working all summer long, they finally had riders test it in late August. Whether simply being diplomatic or not is tough to say, but they called it, “well-designed.”
Featuring a 95 m climb at the start and some dual-slalom-type berms and jumps towards the end, internet trolls are calling it, “too new school.”
“The buildout for the World Cup has been really exciting for us,” says one of the organizers. “It’s both cardiovascularly challenging and fun, with some technical sections in the forest. The first half of the course is more open riding. The primary climbs happening early on. It’s a great opportunity for riders with a strong VO2 max to make their moves.”
But the ‘new school’ label happens further along on the track.
“For the casual observer, the course immediately stands out with its steep climbs—about 95 meters from bottom to top—right from the start. As riders descend, they follow a path near our combined bobsled and luge track, designed to mimic the thrilling speed of the sled track,” says another course builder. “This course caters to younger, modern athletes, featuring a blend of old-school, tough climbs and new-school flow. We built two standout features: a log step-up with stones and an uphill rock garden, adding some real technical challenges. There’s also a giant dual slalom in the middle of the ski trail, which we expect will be a fan favorite, complete with a kicker at the end for some thrilling whips.”
What do you think? Too new school? Not new school enough? If you want to watch the race this weekend, head on over to flobikes.com.
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Canadian Cycling Magazine…