Cycling: Redden capitalises on Alexander's rough ride

West Pennines provide delightful setting for mountain biking battle as Canadian takes gold medal

The enthusiasm of Manchester, blessed by glorious weather, has mocked predictions that a festival of sport in the north-west would have more in common with ancient grease than Ancient Greece.

Yesterday, when the mountain bikers made their Commonwealth Games cross-country debut here in the west Pennines, there was not a dark, satanic mill in sight, only woodlands and rugged terrain to test the best.

It would be stretching a point, however, to suggest that this event has put Rivington on the map. A shuttle bus ride from Bolton Wanderers' Reebok Stadium, the slopes of Rivington Pike lead to a beacon first built to warn of the invasion of the Spanish Armada and restored during the Napoleonic Wars.

The first Viscount Leverhulme later built a wooden cottage there which was burned down by suffragettes in 1913, an act which puzzled many since the Viscount was a supporter of women's suffrage.

A stone mansion, set in gardens of Italian, Japanese and Chinese design, was built to replace the cottage, but the second Viscount Leverhulme allowed the property to decline, and it was demolished shortly after World War II.

As the successful competitors rode through the ruins of the estate yesterday, Scotland's Caroline Alexander may have been forgiven for considering several ways to vent her frustration; short of burning a cottage, of course.

Alexander, favourite to win the gold medal in the women's race, made an impressive start and led by more than a minute on the first lap. Unfortunately, she did not complete the lap: the rear tyre of her bike sustained a puncture, a huge tear defying attempts to repair it.

Unlike Lance Armstrong, mountain bike racers cannot rely on a back-up team for running repairs. They are allowed to carry as many spares as they wish – from inner tubes to entire bikes – but they have to fix problems themselves.

As Alexander looked in horror at the damaged tyre, she was passed by one of her chief rivals, Chrissy Redden, of Canada, who called out, "Fix it as fast as you can." Redden did not know until after the race that Alexander had failed to finish. By then, Redden had collected the gold medal, having completed four laps of the 6.9km course in 1hr, 32min and 10sec. This was 16 seconds ahead of the silver medallist, Susy Pride, of New Zealand, who in turn finished 39 seconds in front of Mary Grigson, who won the bronze for Australia.

"I never like to see anyone with a flat [tyre]," Redden said. "It usually only takes a minute and a half to fix. I didn't know Caroline had retired from the race. She started fast and was really motivated to get a good result. We all went on to the course knowing there was a lot of potential to get a flat. We all did what we could to prevent that from happening." As a precaution, Redden raced with low suspension.

"It was unfortunate for Caroline," she added, "and for Sue Thomas [of England], who flatted when she was doing really well, too." Thomas finished eighth of the 15 starters. Her compatriot, Jenny Copnall, completed the last lap on a flat tyre to take 12th place.

Alexander, a 34-year-old former European champion, was already looking forward to the weekend. "This race is over, and I'm going to win the road race," she said.

Mountain bike racing may be a fairly young international sport, having only been recognised a world-class since 1990, but some of its most determined female participants are over 30: 36 in Redden's case.

"I would like to take part in the Olympics in Athens," she said, smiling, in response to the reminder that, according to the old saying, life would be due to begin for her as the defending Commonwealth champion in Melbourne.

Although yesterday on the hillside was disappointing for the Scots, Liam Killeen won a bronze medal for England in the men's cross-country race, over five laps. Killeen, a 20-year-old former European junior champion from Malvern, completed the course in 1hr 55min and 34sec, two minutes behind Seamus McGrath, of Canada, the silver medallist, who finished 46 seconds behind his compatriot, Roland Green, who struck gold on his 28th birthday.

"It was tough following Roland," McGrath said. "Riding behind him was like riding behind a motorbike."

Green and Redden did in fact spend most of the afternoon riding behind a motorbike – the scramble version that led the racers up hill and down dale in the quest for glory. A couple of marshalls on quad bikes also rode the course to help out, while the Salvation Army were friends in need, providing water and music for thousands of spectators en route.