Cycling at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Women's cross-country

{{Infobox Olympic event

|event = Women's cross-country

|games = 2008 Summer

|image =

|caption =

|venue = Laoshan Mountain Bike Course

|dates = August 23, 2008

|competitors = 30

|nations = 21

|longnames = yes

|win_value = 1:45:11

|gold = Sabine Spitz

|goldNOC = GER

|silver = Maja Włoszczowska

|silverNOC = POL

|bronze = Irina Kalentieva

|bronzeNOC = RUS

|prev = 2004

|next = 2012}}

{{CyclingAt2008SummerOlympics}}

The women's cross-country mountain biking at the 2008 Summer Olympics took place at the Laoshan Mountain Bike Course on August 23, 2008.

Germany's Sabine Spitz opened up a commanding, one-minute lead from the rest of the field and then stayed out in front to a spectacular finish with a gold-medal time in 1:45:11.{{cite news|title=Spitz Wins Germany's First Cycling Gold at Beijing Olympics|url=http://english.cri.cn/6066/2008/08/23/1461s397855.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20131025065513/http://english.cri.cn/6066/2008/08/23/1461s397855.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 25, 2013|work=Xinhua|publisher=China Radio International|date=23 August 2008|accessdate=24 October 2013}}{{cite news|title=Germany's Spitz wins women's mountain bike gold|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/08/23/2344466.htm?site=olympics/2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080830222756/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/08/23/2344466.htm?site=olympics/2008|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 30, 2008|publisher=ABC News Australia|date=23 August 2008|accessdate=24 October 2013}} Trailing behind the leader by more than forty seconds, Poland's Maja Włoszczowska took home the silver in 1:45:52, while Russian rider Irina Kalentieva held off a tight battle with Canada's Catharine Pendrel down the final lap to grab the bronze in 1:46:28.{{cite news|last=Dreier|first=Fred|title=Spitz wins scorcher in Beijing|url=http://velonews.competitor.com/2008/08/olympics/spitz-wins-scorcher-in-beijing_82255|publisher=Velo News|date=23 August 2008|accessdate=24 October 2013|archive-date=29 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029193945/http://velonews.competitor.com/2008/08/olympics/spitz-wins-scorcher-in-beijing_82255|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|last=Byers|first=Jim|title=Catharine Pendrel fourth in women's mountain bike, Premont pulls out|url=https://www.thestar.com/sports/olympics/2008/08/22/catharine_pendrel_fourth_in_womens_mountain_bike_premont_pulls_out.html|publisher=Toronto Star|date=23 August 2008|accessdate=24 October 2013}} Among the 30 mountain bikers who competed in the cross-country race, only eighteen of them managed to complete the full distance.