"London 2012 Olympics: Nicole Cooke considers double cycling act Reigning Olympic road race...

"London 2012 Olympics: Nicole Cooke considers double cycling act

Reigning Olympic road race cycling champion Nicole Cooke is seriously considering an audacious double in London by adding the women’s 3km team pursuit on the track to her repertoire."

almost 2 years ago Sarah Connolly 8 comments 0 recs |

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Presumably British Cycling know if she's got the watts

by William H on Jul 27, 2010 5:03 AM EDT reply actions

I'm sure she probably has.

It’s not just the watts, though, is it? It’s also interesting that she’s talking about this at the point at which her status as road team leader isn’t necessarily guaranteed (though as defending champ, I’m sure she’ll get a fair crack at it).

"I was just trying to keep warm" - Ian Stannard on finishing third in KBK

by civetta on Jul 27, 2010 5:28 AM EDT up reply actions

Course is much more her though isn't it

Can’t see Pooley be a factor.
My first question is if this is about securing financial support going into 2012? I have no idea but I just imagine the track team being better funded/supported and perhaps it is a factor?

by Jens on Jul 27, 2010 9:04 AM EDT up reply actions

I was thinking more of Lizzie Armistead, actually,

who would probably back herself to beat Cooke in a sprint finish (she certainly thought she would at this year’s nationals). But Lizzie might decide to concentrate on track (she’s been talking about doing the omnium like she did at the Worlds).

I don’t know about the funding. I’ve read that Cooke’s racing for the GB team for free this year in return for being able to keep her personal sponsors. As a defending Olympic champion, I’d have thought she’d have been eligible for lottery money in exactly the same way as the trackies but maybe you’re ineligible if you have other sources of income? (Obviously men’s road cycling is infinitely better paid than women’s but I don’t imagine Geraint Thomas is getting lottery money for the track, for instance?) As for support, there was the whole British Cycling “Project Nicole” thing in the run up to Beijing so she did benefit despite concentrating on the road.

Pigeons will probably know more.

Cooke’s a bit of mystery, really.

(She has ridden on the track before, she did the points race in Athens, I think.)

"I was just trying to keep warm" - Ian Stannard on finishing third in KBK

by civetta on Jul 27, 2010 11:18 AM EDT up reply actions

ok

British Cycling have a list of athletes in their Olympic podium programme. Interestingly, the don’t split it into track/road but sprint/endurance, so Cooke & Pooley are listed as part of the same squad as Wendy Houvenaghel & Jo Rowsell, for instance. It doesn’t mention levels of funding though.

"I was just trying to keep warm" - Ian Stannard on finishing third in KBK

by civetta on Jul 27, 2010 11:27 AM EDT up reply actions

The money

Is something like £25k a year – or at least I think I remember Jamie Staff saying that he was so pleased the Sky HD sponsorship came in for the sprint team, because that’s all riders were on – could be wrong, but it’s thereabouts. It’s supplemented by sponsorship, of course – and trade team salaries, so I can’t imagine, eg Lizzie being given 2 salaries fo road and track. I think the £ is the same for both though (though they don’t have to take the £, of course) and that’s why the Sky HD sprint team thing was so good, as the track sprinters can’t double up as much as the endurance riders. I’ll ask about eligibility, I’ve a twitter-friend who knows more.

Anyway, I think it’s right they haven’t decided who to go all-out for, yet. The real thing is that given the no. of riders eligible to ride in the olympics has reduced on the track side, and they’re on payment-by-results, they’ll need to make the decision that is all about realism, not about partiality. Me, I’d send Wendy H, Romero and sarah stoery as my TP team, as they’re fastest. I’m still unconvinced about the fact BC seems to have dropped everyone by Lizzie from the enduro programme (what if she breaks a collarbone in June?)

I never know what to think about Cooke, things like this just confuse me

by Sarah Connolly on Jul 27, 2010 3:04 PM EDT up reply actions

apparently it's somewhere around £25k

for the Olympic Podium Riders, but riders who are on a pro team and being paid by them don’t get the £. Riders can also turn down the £ if they like.

Apparently British Cycling negotiate a contract with the riders who are on teams to say they can have them to prepare for the Olympics (which is fair enough, given that a lot of the riders have got to that position because of coming through the BC system) – I’m not sure what the deal is with riders outside the BC system, who they might want in the road teams, like Roger Hammond or Adam Blyth, or Emma Silversides/Helen Wyman/Dani King – do they just do it for glory?

by Sarah Connolly on Jul 27, 2010 5:53 PM EDT up reply actions