Julie Bresset of France dominated the picturesque course at Hadleigh Farm on yesterday to win the mountain bike gold medal in her first Olympics.

Bresset took the lead early in the race, then took advantage of a mistake by defending gold medalist Sabine Spitz of Germany to build a massive lead. She rolled over the last of six laps all alone, soaking up the cheers of a huge crowd gathered in the English countryside.

The 23-year-old Bresset started blowing kisses to the fans on the final straight, and even grabbed a French flag that she proudly waved as she crossed under the finishing banner.

Spitz wound up with the silver medal, and Georgia Gould of the United States claimed bronze.

It was only the second Olympic medal in mountain biking for the Americans, who are credited with developing the sport in the 1970s. Susan DeMattei captured bronze at the 1996 Atlanta Games.

Bresset's victory could bode well for France.

Julien Absalon will try to win his third straight gold medal in the men's race today. He'll have to beat a field that includes Switzerland's Nino Schurter, his biggest rival on the World Cup scene.

The women's race went off under blue skies at Hadleigh Farm, where a 4.42-kilometer (2.9-mile) course was carved out of the rolling hills and woodlands overlooking an estuary of the Thames.

Britain's Annie Last took the initiative on the opening loop, generating a massive cheer from the thousands of fans who packed into the natural amphitheater near the start-finish line.

Last remained in the lead when the riders headed out onto the main course, which was changed from the Olympic test event to make it more technical and far more demanding.

Bresset finally attacked on a flat section of the course, the under-23 world champion pushing the tempo and opening a small gap on the field as it finished Lap 1.

Last started to struggle with the pace, falling away by the second lap, and Canada's Catharine Pendrel soon joined her in trailing the leaders. Spitz and Gould began giving chase, and the three of them worked together for a short time to put nearly 30 seconds into the rest of the field.

Bresset caught a break when Spitz crashed over a technical section of the course called "the rock garden," which also slowed up Gould and left Bresset alone at the front.

She used her blazing speed on the downhill sections to build on her lead, and it was 33 seconds when she crossed the finish line to mark two laps remaining. Spitz and Gould appeared stronger on the short, punchy climbs, but they struggled to reel in the strongest rider in the field.

Bresset's lead was so large entering the final lap that she crossed the finish line just as the chasing riders were dropping into the natural arena created by a pair of gently sloping hillsides.

Bresset had plenty of time to enjoy the scenery on her final lap, starting her celebration with the finishing banner — and none of her competitors — within sight.

The overall World Cup champion dismounted just after the line, pumping her fist and then raising her bike over her head in triumph, a smile sprawled across her face.

Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa of Norway, who won gold at the 2004 Athens Games, was never in contention after puncturing a tire on a remote section of the course and hiking back to her support team.

Maja Wlosczowska of Poland, the silver medalist from Beijing, didn't start the race. She broke a bone in her foot during a training ride in Italy and was unable to compete.