Laoshan Mountain Bike Course

Laoshan Mountain Bike Course

The Chinese Cycling Association is located at the foot of Laoshan Mountain. Before it became the Olympic Laoshan Mountain Bike Course, Laoshan had already been the training base for the national cycling team. To meet the functional requirements of the Olympic mountain bike competition, the Laoshan Mountain Bike Project included several components: the construction of two new competition service buildings, the renovation of a 4.6-kilometer course, and the layout of the start and finish zones. Both the competition service buildings and the start and finish zones are situated at the foot of Laoshan Mountain, having no impact on the mountain’s vegetation. As for the 4.6-kilometer mountain bike course, except for the 165-meter asphalt starting section, the rest of the route is based on existing mountain trails, which were appropriately widened and renovated.

To enhance the spectacle and intensity of the competition, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Technical Commission proposed shortening the course length and appropriately increasing the difficulty for these Olympic Games. In response to this requirement, the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games shortened the initial 6.8-kilometer Laoshan Mountain Bike Course to 4.6 kilometers. The originally planned flat sections were almost entirely removed, leaving mostly steep slopes and sharp turns.

The renovation and expansion of the Laoshan Mountain Bike Course were carried out under the principle of maintaining the mountain’s terrain and vegetation as much as possible, reflecting the spirit of the Humanistic Olympics and Green Olympics, which emphasize harmony with nature. The Shijingshan District Gardening Bureau made significant efforts in landscaping the entire course, selecting a variety of trees and flowers suitable for mountainous areas to enhance the landscape. These plants are drought-resistant, cold-resistant, and thrive in poor soil, yet they bloom beautifully, adding splendor to the mountain. The construction of the course largely followed the existing mountain contours and natural landforms. Even the slope reinforcement work mostly avoided the use of cement and steel, instead employing woven grass bags filled with soil for stabilization.

After the Olympics, the 4.6-kilometer Laoshan Mountain Bike Course will be fully open to the public, serving as an excellent recreational and fitness destination for local residents.