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Cooke, the team, the bike and the sponsor

Road cycling
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Nicole Cooke

Nicole Cooke’s superb, gutsy win on Saturday in the women’s road race in Varese sealed her place in history – the first woman to win both the Olympic and World Championship titles in the same year.

Cooke’s performance, fighting to stay in touch with, and ultimately outwitting, the best riders in the world in the closing stages of the race was the mark of a true champion.

What, though, of the British men?

Ben Swift narrowly missed out on a podium place in the under-23 road race and David Millar finished ninth in the elite men’s time trial. Other than that, the results make for familiar reading: only Russell Downing finished, in 49th place, the elite men’s road race (though it should be said that only 76 others of the 206 starters did likewise).

It’s easy to reach the conclusion the bubble has burst for the much-vaunted renaissance of British men’s cycling. A GB men’s team riding the Tour de France in two years’ time? On your bike.

Cooke, however, did not win her race alone, and therein lies the key to any conclusions about the men’s performance. Cooke could not have been in contention in the final few kilometres of the Worlds – and, indeed, the Olympics - had it not been for the sterling work of her team-mates Emma Pooley, Sharon Laws, Lizzie Armitstead and Jess Allen – the strongest British women’s team in many a year, perhaps ever.

Moreover, she could not have been in contention had it not been for the formation, at the turn of the year, of the professional-national British women’s squad - the Halfords Bikehut team.

The Halfords outfit, bearing all the hallmarks of the meticulous planning of British Cycling’s Performance Director, Dave Brailsford, was created with the express intention of delivering Cooke to the top of the podium in the key races of the season.

A British sponsor secured, the coaches and riders were recruited, customised bikes were produced by British Cycling’s Technical Director, Chris Boardman, and a race schedule was devised to produce peak performance when it mattered.

And peak performance, when it mattered, it certainly produced. So much so, that it conclusively proves Brailsford’s ‘model’ for a pro-nat men’s team, the formula intended to place a GB team in the 2010 Tour de France.

In nine months, Brailsford’s model has delivered a unique Olympic and World double for Cooke and a monumental boost for British women’s cycling. The task now is to replicate that approach with a men’s team.

So, in the post-Olympic, post-Tour de France cycling euphoria, the question we should be asking is not how far has men’s road cycling come, but how far it can go?

What do you think are the chances of a British men’s team riding in the 2010 Tour de France?

And, bearing in mind that the 2010 aim is for a place in the Tour, not to win it, which nine riders would make your GB team right now?

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comment by Austrian_Jez (U8329092)

posted Oct 3, 2008

Catholic countries / warm countries ?
na, countries where there is room to cycle smiley
and where the car is not king ...

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comment by imperialjayman (U13313947)

posted Oct 3, 2008

UncleDeluvian, I think you've hit the nail on the head with your warmer countries statement. Who wants to ride a bike in the weather we've been having lately. I agree, what has Catholicism got to do with it anyway. Next we’ll hear people trying to deny evolution.

Inside Tracker, well done for mentioning Steve Cummings, he seems to have been completely ignored in this thread. He’s had a great season this year, although some disappointment for him in the Olympics and World’s, though 11th in the Olympic TT isn’t too bad considering he had mechanical problems. Not only was he 2nd in the Tour of Britain and winner of Coppa Bernocchi, he won a stage of the Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria, 2nd overall in Tour of Denmark and 4th in a stage of the Giro d'Italia. At 27, I think we’re still to see the best of him.

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comment by Spottedjock (U5976018)

posted Oct 3, 2008

The Halfords Bikehut team has certainly helped Nicole to win the Olympic and World titles this year. However the Olympic title was the clearly stated aim at the press conference in January when the team was launched. For Nicole that was a good decision. After all she has garnered far more publicity in the UK by winning the Olympics than she ever achieved being a double World Cup winner, Giro Donne victor and double Grande Boucle winner etc.

However, I am going to be interested to see how the team manages next year when presumably they will concentrate on the World Cup and/or major stage races. Nicole's performance this year in those races was not as good as in previous years (probably because of peaking for later in the year and getting the team to gel). If the team can do well next year, it may indicate that such a venture for the men is possible on the professional circuit. This is a hugely different proposition and I share some of the scepticism expressed above.

At the elite level, road cycling has taken a back seat to the track because of way sport is funded in this country (the more medals you win the more money you get). Therefore I can understand Dave Brailsford's concentration on the track. However, he now wants to crack road cycling as well (see Shane Sutton in today's Telegraph). The success of the last few years on the track should help to fund this and has attracted the attention of potential sponsors. I wish the venture well.

PS. I think you will find that practicing Catholics now outnumber their CofE counterparts in the UK. Perhaps that's the reason for this outstanding year!!

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comment by imperialjayman (U13313947)

posted Oct 3, 2008

Spottedjock, your post was going so well until the end. I hope it was a joke.

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comment by Spottedjock (U5976018)

posted Oct 3, 2008

imperialjayman

Of course it was a joke. Although the fact is true, I had hoped that the exclamation marks indicated some humour.

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comment by omgidbi (U8078647)

posted Oct 3, 2008

spotted jock - nice post. the first thing that sprang into my mind though upon completing it were parallels with lance armstrong.

He targets a race and gets vilified - unfairly. Our Nicole does likewise and gets all but coronated - a fact i don't mind at all. Both are winners. Just an observation....

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comment by Spottedjock (U5976018)

posted Oct 3, 2008

omgidbi

I see your point. However for Nicole, the Olympics and the Worlds were about the only things she hadn't won. Lance has one World title and all those tour victories to his name. I don't vilify him for such an outstanding achievement and I think next year will be interesting to see how he performs. However, it's disappointing he never made serious challenges to win the Giro, the Vuelta or some of the one day classics.

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comment by omgidbi (U8078647)

posted Oct 3, 2008

no - the vilify comment was not aimed at you. it was more an observation to those who criticise an athlete for having a goal.

In Lances position, post cancer, when would have been the right time to consider a multi-fronted attack on the cycling calender? Perhaps, if he had he would have been equally criticised for ignoring/devaluing the Tour!

Anyway, go Nicole!! I hope you win everything in '09.........

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comment by Spottedjock (U5976018)

posted Oct 3, 2008

Don't worry, I hadn't taken it personally. Sadly for Lance some people will never be happy.

When I made my comment, I hadn't really thought about a multi-fronted attack on the calendar. It's just I am sure he could have achieved a full set of Grand Tour victories if he had set his mind to it. On the other hand it may not have earnt him as much money especially in the US.

As for your final comment I couldn't agree more.

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comment by enjoy_the_ride_again (U12685150)

posted Oct 6, 2008

'...Nicole's performance this year in those races was not as good as in previous years (probably because of peaking for later in the year and getting the team to gel)...'

Not questioning what you say.

Just don't forget she was also recovering / coming back from a major knee operation.

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