Blazing a trail for sport's elite

Course designer Martin Ovastar and cycling ranger Stuart Startup tackled parts of a World Cup standard cycle route before the champions sweat it out.

The 2010 UCI Mountain Bike Cross-Country World Cup is taking place in Dalby Forest, near Pickering, from April 24-26.

But the Forestry Commission has opened parts of the tough 6.5-kilometre route, with challenging sections such as Medusa's Drop and Worry Gill, to the public ahead of the global event.

Yesterday cyclists tried out the newly opened sections as British Cycling prepares to stage the championship.

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