Cycling: Bresset storms to mountain bike gold

Bresset went on to finish race in under 90 minutes becoming the oldest medal winner in an individual cycling event

HADLEIGH FARM: France’s Julie Bresset stormed to victory in the women’s mountain bike cross country race to claim her maiden Olympic title. Germany’s Sabine Spitz claimed the silver with Georgia Gould of the US winning bronze. Bresset was among an early group of pace-setters and their pace steadily thinned out the field over the first two of the race’s six laps. By the end of the third lap the 23-year-old Frenchwoman had opened up a slight lead on Spitz and the rest, and a lap further on she had increased her advantage to 33 seconds. Bresset went on to finish the race in just under 90 minutes becoming the oldest medal winner in an individual cycling event since Jeannie Longo won time trial bronze in Sydney 2000 at the age of 41.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 12^th, 2012.