Descend Rotorua president Dave Hamilton
said he was looking forward to seeing the "gnarly" course put to the test tomorrow.
"There is steep, there is nasty, there is gnarly, there is fast, there [are] jumps and there is everything you want to see from a spectator and a rider point of view."
The downhill track is similar to the one used at the 2006 world championships but also had plenty of new additions, he said.
"This is the first time it has been used since the world champs in 2006. There has only been one race on it before."
Hamilton said some of the new features included a 12m gap jump, 14m table-top jump, 35m rock garden, plus four bridges over the luge track.
The best downhill riders in the country will compete for national titles on the course with racing starting at 1pm tomorrow.
The course will then be used again in March for the high-profile Crankworx Rotorua event, which will feature top mountain bikers from around the world.
Elite riders competing tomorrow will include defending men's national champion George Brannigan (Hawke's Bay) who will go up against the likes of Brook MacDonald (Hawke's Bay) and crowd favourite Sam Blenkinsop (Christchurch).
Local contenders in the men's elite race include Matt Walker, Keegan Wright and Louis Hamilton. Meanwhile, women's champion Sarah Atkin (Wellington) will be looking to defend her title.
Work has been going for three months on the course and UCI commissaire Jeremy Christmas ticked it off yesterday, Hamilton said. He said it was free to go along and watch the racing and he hoped to see a good crowd tomorrow. The track is easily accessible from the carpark at the bottom of Skyline and there is also a $10 special on gondola passes for spectators.
The Mountain Bike National Championships include cross-country racing in the Whakarewarewa Forest today and downhill racing tomorrow.
Seeding runs will be held about 11am tomorrow followed by the official race at 1pm.
Each rider gets only one run during the official race and the top seeds will go last. The event is expected to finish about 3pm.
Hamilton said quite a few riders' jaws almost hit the ground while doing a walk-through of the course yesterday.
SCHEDULE
Mountain Bike National Championships in Rotorua:
Today: Cross-country, Whakarewarewa Forest.
Tomorrow: Downhill, Skyline Gravity Park, Mt Ngongotaha.
