MTBO WOC is happening

Monday, 6 August 2007

MTBO WOC is happening

Riders from 23 countries have arrived in the Czech Republic for the MTBO 2007 Worlds.   There are 65 women and 115 men competitors.

The Australian team of 7 have spent the last 10 days competing in a 3 day Polish Euro event and then training in two different Czech areas, near Blankso and Telc.  Tony Clark has had a back problem restrict his training but is now on the improve.  Everyone else is fit and raring to go.  

The event centre is at the Ski Hotel near Nove Mesto na Morave and both the sprint and relay will be held around it.  This also was the site for the 2000 Jwoc relay.  It now has a roller ski track on which the finish lap will occur.

Our accommodation is at the nearby Hotel Hornik, which is really brilliant, being based in the forest on the model map, and located next to a lake.  We have done well to score 4 rooms, so conditions are excellent, as was the first meal tonight.

Two other events are based on former Jwoc areas, the long qualifying at Milovy (event centre 2000) and the long final on Zkamenely Kamek,, on which  the Jwoc team trained and lived nearby.  This has helped us in pre looking at maps and course planning.

Only 4 men are allowed to race the sprint tomorrow.  David Wood is the unlucky Aussie who must sit and wait another day.  Ian Dalton (from WA) has joined the group and has press accreditation and will also assist the team at the finish.  The Sprint will be televised live on national Czech TV.

Kay Haarsma - coach