Improbable venue revels in showing off hidden charms

Hadleigh Farm stretches across 550 acres, its hills and dales perfect for the specifically sadistic demands of this mountain bike racing.
The men’s cross-country field heads uphill in front of an enthusiastic crowd at Hadleigh Farm yesterday
The men’s cross-country field heads uphill in front of an enthusiastic crowd at Hadleigh Farm yesterday
CHRISTOPHE ENA/AP

Can we have another week, please? There were never going to be sufficient days for the Inspector to make a complete tour of Games venues, and the elimination process was tough enough, even in advance. Nothing could have prepared me, though, for the frustrations of exclusion, the craving for more time.

East London’s two great warehouses, otherwise known as ExCeL and the North Greenwich Arena, were left out through sheer familiarity, although both have staged heady occasions. Olympic Park venues were then rationed, as elements could prove repetitive. No Copper Box, no Riverbank Arena, no Water Polo Arena and no Velodrome.

To judge from the celebrity count alone, track cycling was a rousing success, but it is over now, no going back. Instead, for a