COLCHESTER has lost its bid to stage the 2012 Olympic mountain biking event - because it was just too flat.
The town threw its hat in the ring after Olympic officials pulled the plug on Weald Country Park, near Brentwood, as host venue.
Colchester Council portfolio holder for resources Paul Smith had suggested High Woods Country Park could be an ideal venue for the challenging mountain biking competition.
And he said it would give Colchester the chance to take centre stage in the world's biggest sporting event.
But Mr Smith said official measurements had found High Woods was 30m too low from its lowest to highest point to be used for the competition.
He said: "We were 30m too low on the climb from the lowest part to the highest so we just missed out.
"They also looked at Hilly Fields. Essex hills did not quite get the measure, they were just not tall enough."
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