By Scott Dougal, PA International

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Nicole Cooke won Wales' first cycling gold at the Commonwealth Games on Saturday - but she only allowed herself a sliver of time to celebrate the achievement.

A junior world champion, it was her first senior title of a career from which great things are expected.

But when you Are the most promising cyclist of your generation, there is no time to reflect on targets reached.

Cooke starts the women's Tour de France on Sunday, not as gruelling as the men's race, but a 15-day 2,000km slog nevertheless.

The 19-year-old, however, shrugged off any idea that winning Commonwealth gold had taken too much out of her.

"I'm going there for a learning experience, really," she said before departing for Hertogenbosch in Holland where the race starts.

"I don't have too many ambitions for myself. It should be quite a nice two weeks' round France."

Cooke had disappointed her many admirers earlier in the week with mediocre performances in the time-trial and mountain biking that never threatened to take her on to the medal podium.

But her fans, gathered here in strength, were more than satisfied on Saturday as she timed a final sprint for the line to perfection.

She was followed in by Canadian Susan Palmer-Komar in the silver medal placing and England's Rachel Heal, who won bronze.

Scotland's Caroline Alexander, who had burst into tears when a flat tyre punctured her hopes of a gold in the mountain biking, was again left empty-handed as she faded badly in the final straight.

But Alexander's fate was nothing to that of Australian Margaret Hemsley, who fell and broke her collar bone after making what could have been a decisive break for the gold medal on the final lap.

The 30-year-old skidded as she swung into a downward turn, her front wheel appearing to lock as her back wheel moved away from her.

Hemsley is a physiotherapist and was no doubt able to diagnose her injury but she carried on bravely - eventually finishing a respectable 12th.

Oxford-born Heal was just pleased to be standing anywhere on the podium.

"I've come an awful long way in the last year," she said. "It was a good result for the whole team today."

Hemsley's fall allowed the seven-strong group of Heal, Canadian pairing Lyne Bessette and Palmer-Komar, Cooke, Australia's Hayley Rutherford, New Zealand's Roz Reekie-May and Alexander to make a bid for the lead.

Alexander made a push for the lead but was caught with little trouble by Cooke and Bessette.

Cooke overshot a turn but the Welshwoman was able to get back in contention as the lead group failed to press their advantage.

With two riders in the lead group, one of Canadians winning gold was the best bet as Bessette and Palmer-Komar worked on saving each other's energy.

But Cooke remained convinced that she could stay in contention, just as she had done as the lone Welsh presence in an earlier break boasting four Australians.

She said: "Throughout most of my racing I've always been the one rider against the others.

"It was just a case of keeping clear and trying not to use up too much energy."

The experience served her well as she set herself up for the win.

The Welsh flags flew as Cooke was presented with her medal in front of a raucous crowd and, beaming all the while, she basked for five minute in the adulation before turning her attention from Lancashire to the roads of Holland and France.