Banska Bystrica MTBO WOC 2005

Event Advisor report

Middle Distance

1/3 of the middle distance map is covered by open area, 1/3 urban area and 1/3 forest terrain. Both courses include almost no flat parts at all and thus offer the competitors a good chance of using their uphill and downhill skills. Paths and tracks are mostly easy to ride but as the meadows get slippery when wet, extra attention should be paid into downhilling carefully if it rains.

I advise all competitors not to forget warming-up! Facing the most strenuous climb of the week on your way to the first control point of the middle distance, you will be happy to have warm muscles.

Women’s course has 9 control points and men’s 12. Some parts of the course consist of easy orienteering and physical challenges but both courses also offer challenging route choice with many possible alternatives to choose from.

The final part of the courses consists of easy orienteering in the middle of urban area.

Long Qualification

Long qualification will show the competitors a mountainous terrain, which is different from what they were used to in the middle distance. Most tracks are hardpack ski-tracks that make fast riding possible. The map of the day has very few yellow areas.

Some long legs offer many possible routes to choose from. You might find it useful to plan your routes carefully as in this terrain a bad route-choice might cause you to ride extra kilometres.

Some narrow paths can be difficult to see.

Relay

The terrain used in relay is basically like the one used in middle distance. Courses offer less route-choices but the hills have grown into mountains and height-differences are thus bigger than they were in middle distance.

You will face downhill-sections in the last kilometres of the course. Ridden with too much speed this section is dangerous. It is necessary to be careful in order to avoid accidents!

Positions of the teams in relay might vary more than usually as differences in the leg-times caused by gaffling can grow into several minutes.

Long Final

The most variable and challenging terrain of the week has been saved for this race. There are some open areas in the beginning of the courses but most of the course is set into variable, forested terrain. The finish area, located in urban settings, is extraordinary spectacular.

Long distance courses offer long legs with lots of challenging route-choices. Height differences are moderate and hills are not as steep as they were in the earlier finals of the WC week.

Women’s course has 10 controls and men’s 17.

More specific report with regard of current matters will be published one day before each competition