2011 Archives
Solid performances by both teams in the relay Saturday, 27 August 2011
Middle final and another top 10 for Tom Friday, 26 August 2011
A couple of maps Friday, 26 August 2011
Middle Distance Start Times Thursday, 25 August 2011
Long Final - long, hot and hilly - and a 9th in the junior mens for Tom! Wednesday, 24 August 2011
Quick summary of the long qualification / prologe race. Tuesday, 23 August 2011
The commemorative monument Monday, 22 August 2011
Report from the team coach Sunday, 21 August 2011
Settled into WOC accommodation Sunday, 21 August 2011
Photos Saturday, 20 August 2011
Training Part 2 Friday, 19 August 2011
Training Part 1 Friday, 19 August 2011
Gearing up for Italy Thursday, 28 July 2011 Gearing up for Italy

Settled into WOC accommodation

Sunday, 21 August 2011

The team has now moved into the WOC accommodation in Montecchio Maggiore (affectionately known as «the M.M. Town») which appears to be the industrial outskirts of the cute old town, Vicenza. We have three apartments with small kitchenettes in each which will provide our chef extraodinaire, Lizzy, with a managerial challenge.

This afternoon/evening drove (the scenic route) out to the model event. We decided that the 55 contour climb was somewhat unnecessary 2 days before the start of WOC and convinced Kay to drive us to the top of the hill to do the upper controls first before a hooning descent into the small town of Nanto.

One interesting change to the mapping standards for this championships is the inclusion of a deeper yellow/orange colour that identifies passages that are permissible to ride. Mostly, these passages occur along the side of cultivated land, which in this area is mostly corn or vineyards. The problem we have encountered so far is that it is difficult to determine where these passages are in reality. Some of them actually appear to have vechile marks, whilst others are grassy and at least one that I found today was overgrown (a confusing situation when is marked as apparently very clear).

The excitement for tomorrow includes another look at the model event and the laying of the commemorative stone of Mountain Bike Orienteering world championships. Kay received an official invitation to the grand event:

«The column with the capital has the logo of MTBO 2011 in full view and it was made with the stone of Vicenza, emphasising the strong relationship between our land and its excellences. It is a hymn to our region in order to promote and increase its values beyond its borders.»

Archeologists in years to come with be thrilled to find this long lasting documentation of this historically significant competition. The author will brave the heat of the day and forfeit her siesta to provide you with photos. 

Needless to say, we are expecting the the coming week to be quite a performance!