Gold for Mighty Mouse Martinez

Meirhaeghe, Martinez and Sauser with their medals

France's Miguel Martinez fully stocked his trophy cabinet by clinching Olympic gold in the mountain bike cross country race.

The man known as Mighty Mouse added Olympic gold to the World Championship and World Cup titles he has already won this year and celebrated by holding up a toy kangaroo draped in a French tricolour as he crossed the finish line.

Martinez rode an almost perfect tactical race to finish in two hours, nine minutes, two second, more than a minute ahead of Belgium's European champion Filip Meirhaeghe, with Switzerland's Christoph Sauser taking the bronze.

Martinez remained cool and patient, refusing to react as Swiss Thomas Frischknecht set a gruelling pace over the first five laps.

Meirhaeghe was first to react as Frischknecht faded, overhauling the Swiss rider, but with a lap and a half to go, he was overtaken by Maretinez who never looked back.

Frischknecht, who had looked so strong for so long, faded badly to finish seventh, one ahead of local hero Cadel Evans of Australia, but his compatriot Sauser finished strongly to claim the bronze.

Britons Oliver Beckingsale and Nick Criag finished 23rd and 25th respectively.