[erhan]

Last month, 2 days before the race day I went to practice this new course. When I got there I saw the volunteers working on the course. They stopped me and asked if I could help them measure the length of the course, and make suggestions about some sections. I had the bike and the gps, and he had the camera. I thought it would be interesting. So here it is...

This is the straight after the start
http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/2893/img2320resizeys5.jpg

The straight heading into a rocky section.
http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/2476/img2322resizevy3.jpg

http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/816/img2323resizecu2.jpg

http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/1115/img2329resizedg1.jpg

http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/1316/img2330resizeqy7.jpg

climbing...
http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/2876/img2331resizeqf5.jpg

finally a section to get some rest. We thought it would be a good spot for a feed zone.
http://img384.imageshack.us/img384/552/img2337resizegm7.jpg


more to come...

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[erhan]

a fast section
http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/892/img2340resizemb2.jpg

heading back to the forest
http://img357.imageshack.us/img357/6465/img2341resizepu6.jpg

oops... need more speed to clear that one
http://img398.imageshack.us/img398/7420/img2343resizelz2.jpg

a techy part
http://img390.imageshack.us/img390/1740/img2346resizear4.jpg

going down... (invisible drop in the middle)
http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/1769/img2348resizetf9.jpg

...and up again
http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/6905/img2349resizeui2.jpg

gets steeper and steeper, gps says that last climb is 45%. looks like a wall in person
http://img382.imageshack.us/img382/6346/img2351resizeiy3.jpg

a chance to cool down
http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/3679/img2352resizevw2.jpg

not enough cooling though, more to climb...
http://img398.imageshack.us/img398/4135/img2355resizepu8.jpg


...

[erhan]

this section gets quite technical after where I am
http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/4627/img2359resizelt1.jpg

hmmm.. should I try this shortcut?
http://img370.imageshack.us/img370/5739/img2361resizeot0.jpg

no balls!
http://img398.imageshack.us/img398/778/img2362resizexh1.jpg

tiny water pass
http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/6039/img2366resizewt4.jpg

at this point the volunteer got tired from walking and let me go. yehaw!
http://img370.imageshack.us/img370/3370/img2368resizefe3.jpg

Here I come... This picture is a blur, but during the race right at that spot I had my worst ever crash. Came in too fast, braked too late and too hard, went over the bars. A classic!
http://img382.imageshack.us/img382/9307/img2373resizenu4.jpg

How am I gonna turn that one?? *looking ahead*
http://img370.imageshack.us/img370/7941/img2374resizebp0.jpg

made it!
http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/9020/img2376resizekk8.jpg

phew.. cleared that section...
http://img382.imageshack.us/img382/5076/img2377resizedm6.jpg


...

[erhan]

this one was fun, too bad the picture sucks
http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/29/img2378resizegt5.jpg

back to the start-finish. 5.25 km, well done guys
http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/6980/img2388resizetm4.jpg


So, this is it. I will also post the pictures that I took at the elites' race.

[ZeCanon]

that looks like a sick course! where is it? I'm itching so bad to get back on my mountain bike and race in some dirt again. Enough of this road racing crap!

[erhan]

that looks like a sick course! where is it? I'm itching so bad to get back on my mountain bike and race in some dirt again. Enough of this road racing crap!

It's located in southern Turkey, only about 10k from the Mediterranean coast, and about 800m high from the sea level. I was told that they spent weeks to find a suitable spot and build the course. Sick course indeed, I wish there were more pictures. :)

[erhan]

some pictures from the elite mens and womens race

http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/453/img1030nw4.jpg

http://img396.imageshack.us/img396/5712/img1054ux8.jpg

http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/6493/img1067xz7.jpg

http://img396.imageshack.us/img396/9264/img1153ub4.jpg

http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/9489/img1210ia6.jpg

http://img354.imageshack.us/img354/7480/img1211dc7.jpg

http://img512.imageshack.us/img512/9475/img1219eh7.jpg

http://img122.imageshack.us/img122/6430/img1250vh0.jpg

http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/4111/img1286ch3.jpg

http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/3226/img1310qc2.jpg

[erhan]

http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/3861/img1340kb9.jpg

podiums...
http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/7834/img1378ia7.jpg

http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/6795/img1381bj5.jpg

finally a couple of hot bikes
http://img116.imageshack.us/img116/5217/img0976resizeeq6.jpg

[troie]

Very nice course. Im surprised to see so many hardtails.

[erhan]

Very nice course. Im surprised to see so many hardtails.

FS bikes aren't very popular around here. In that race I think I saw only 2 FS bikes, the 2nd place guy, and the 3rd place a girl. The rest riding hardtails.

[zjk]

that looks like a great race......to bad i live in america.....

i guess ill find others:)

[bbgobie]

That looks like so much fun! I don't have the skills to race it, but o well! Can't learn without trying!
Wish we had more like that here.

[gastro]

I like looking at different terrain / trails and that stuff definitely looks fun. Great thread erhan.