The video is not of the highest quality, but nonethelss it will provide an opportunity to see the trail the Olympic athletes will be riding.

 For a 2D and 3D map of the Olympic Mountain Bike Course and for pictures ofthis trail click here.

• August 13, 2008 -- 2008 Olympic Mountain Biking in Beijing
• January 12, 2009 -- France’s Julien Absalon’s Olympic Gold Mountain Bike
• August 23, 2008 -- France Takes Gold and Silver in Men’s Mountain Biking at 2008 Olympic Games
• August 22, 2008 -- Germany’s Sabine Spitz Claims Gold at Beijing Olympics

While it is true that there is not much coverage of it, there is a mountain bike section to the Olympics. More correctly titled cross country cycling, this is the event where the best mountain bike riders in the world get to strut their stuff. So what exactly is this race all about?

The race will take place at Laoshan Mountain Bike Course located in Laoshan, Shijingshan District.  The course includes two competition service buildings, remedy for 4.6 kilometer course and fixture for the starting and finishing areas.

The construction of the course makes use of the natural landscape of Laoshan Mountain and does not even use concrete and steel for consolidation but instead uses weaving bags with soil in them.

Olympic mountain bike races are held on courses consisting primarily of forest roads, fields and earth or gravel paths; paved and tarred roads cannot exceed 15 percent of the total course. A cross-country course includes technical descents, steep climbs, single track and river crossings. Competitors may negotiate sections of the course while riding their bike or walking alongside it. No support crews are allowed on the course, meaning riders are required to make all necessary repairs by themselves. The fields for the men’s and women’s mountain bike races will be 50 and 30, respectively. For each race, a country can have no more than three competitors; allocation is based on where nations were ranked in the world at the end of 2007.

While little other information is available I am sure that the race will go through some of the beautiful landscape that surrounds Beijing and will be worth watching. If you want to set your DVR the best schedule I could find for when the races will actually be televised is the following.

Women’s Mountain Bike
FRIDAY, AUG. 22 – DAY 14
MSNBC
5:00am – 5:00pm

Men’s Mountain Bike
SATURDAY, AUG. 23 – DAY 15
NBC and NBC HD
12:30am – 5:00pm

Find out who the U.S.A. has racing in the event

View video footage of the trail

[Show as slideshow]

• August 19, 2008 -- Video Footage of the 2008 Olympic Mountain Biking Course
• January 12, 2009 -- France’s Julien Absalon’s Olympic Gold Mountain Bike
• August 23, 2008 -- France Takes Gold and Silver in Men’s Mountain Biking at 2008 Olympic Games
• August 22, 2008 -- Germany’s Sabine Spitz Claims Gold at Beijing Olympics