Armitstead vs Cooke

fleshtuxedo

Did everyone read the interview with Armitstead in this week's comic?:

How did Nicole Cooke ride at the worlds (where Armitstead was team leader)

"For herself in my opinion"

On NC as a team mate

"I've never seen her work for a team mate"

On, er, no-one in particular

"I've seen too many Olympic champions that still seem miserable with it"

Tom Butcher

They both think they should be team leader for the Olympics - LA quoted in the papers this week - "'My Olympic campaign starts with my first road race (in February). I want to prove that I'm getting results early on so there's no question about who the leader should be."

You wonder if maybe BC have given her encouragement to think she will be team leader given what she's saying and the fact she is giving up on the team pursuit and omnium for the road race.

Personally when it comes to a Worlds or Olympic road race I'd put money on Cooke to finish ahead of Armitstead every time.

ozzzyosborn206

armitstead would win the sprint between them i think, but they should both push the pace and try get in a break then just play the 1,2 game

hammerite

To me NC seems a difficult character, seems to struggle in teams and I think likes to go it alone. She got the hump last year when Pooley, Armistead and Laws worked her over at the Nationals. I think it will be difficult for BC to choose her for the Olympics and not make her team leader, as she probably won't follow orders to help another rider. Would they have the balls to leave out the defending champion?

LeicesterLad

Don't really know much about the women's side of racing, so my opinion is just that, and probably worth very little, but for what i have previously heard/read/seen about NC, for all intents and purposes, she seems like a complete ar*ehole.

Rodrego Hernandez

Cooke is very driven and is a winner and has been for a long time. Armistead is also a winner but brought up with a team mentality. BC have worked against Cooke for a long time so no wonder she likes to ride for herself.

andyp

Rodrego Hernandez wrote:

Cooke is very driven and is a winner and has been for a long time. Armistead is also a winner but brought up with a team mentality. BC have worked against Cooke for a long time so no wonder she likes to ride for herself.

Worked against? Like providing her with a team, back up support and entry to races when she couldn't find a trade team to ride for?

BikingBernie

andyp wrote:

Rodrego Hernandez wrote:

Cooke is very driven and is a winner and has been for a long time. Armistead is also a winner but brought up with a team mentality. BC have worked against Cooke for a long time so no wonder she likes to ride for herself.

Worked against? Like providing her with a team, back up support and entry to races when she couldn't find a trade team who would put up with her?

Corrected.

greasedscotsman

Tom Butcher wrote:

They both think they should be team leader for the Olympics - LA quoted in the papers this week - "'My Olympic campaign starts with my first road race (in February). I want to prove that I'm getting results early on so there's no question about who the leader should be."

Blimey, for a second there I though Armstrong had come out of retirement again!

eh

Lets face it Cooke has and never will be a team player, but that was probably one of the keys to her success at a time when BC(F) simply weren't up to much and you had to go it alone. As for the current spat, I'm not sure what Armistead is moaning about considering her winning record isn't even close to Cooke's, so I can't see how she can expect to be team leader based on a lack of results. If she wins well at the beginning of 2012 then maybe she has the right to expect to play a more important role come the Olympics, but that's for the future.

As for Sutton having a moan, bit rich when he's know Cooke for years, sure he can't be surprised by her attitude :!:

frenchfighter

Respect to Cooke for what she has achieved largely on her own. The other riders have been molly cuddled. She went out hard and has a palmares to be proud of and to be envied.



Armi is still a hottie.

frenchfighter

Defending Olympic women’s road race champion Nicole Cooke received a boost to her 2012 London Games preparations when she won Saturday’s Subaru Noosa GP in Queensland, Australia.

She beat a strong local field that included Commonwealth Games champion Rochelle Gilmore, Garmin-Cervelo pro Carla Ryan, the in-form Carlee Taylor and experienced sprinter Trudy Van Der Straaten

***

“It’s a great start to the Olympic campaign,” she said. “I’ve had a break since the world championships and arrived in Perth a few weeks ago, where my brother lives.

“That [Perth] will be my base for the Australian summer and this is the first weekend of my pre-season training so it’s off to a very good start.”

BikingBernie

frenchfighter wrote:

Armi is still a hottie.

Maybe, but in a poll on Lesbilicious 'The webs' tastiest lesbian magazine', Nicole Cooke was voted into 5th place as the 'Most lesbilicious UK sportswoman' of 2008.

http://www.lesbilicious.co.uk/tv-film/r ... 2008-poll/

That said, I don't really know what it is to be 'lesbilicious'!

top_bhoy

BikingBernie wrote:

frenchfighter wrote:

Armi is still a hottie.

Maybe, but in a poll on Lesbilicious 'The webs' tastiest lesbian magazine', Nicole Cooke was voted into 5th place as the 'Most lesbilicious UK sportswoman' of 2008.

http://www.lesbilicious.co.uk/tv-film/r ... 2008-poll/

That said, I don't really know what it is to be 'lesbilicious'!

The length of your research holds no bounds

Secteur

I think it shows a suprising lack of judgement to make such comments publically for many reasons.

It's disrespectful to the team and shows a lack of team spirit and it show her competitors that the womens team has problems and is, perhaps, weak.

I would be suprised if the team didn't sanction her because of these comments.

Could you imagine the mens team saying such things?

Not sure I'd want someone like this on my team...

zippypablo

BikingBernie wrote:

frenchfighter wrote:

Armi is still a hottie.

Maybe, but in a poll on Lesbilicious 'The webs' tastiest lesbian magazine', Nicole Cooke was voted into 5th place as the 'Most lesbilicious UK sportswoman' of 2008.

http://www.lesbilicious.co.uk/tv-film/r ... 2008-poll/

That said, I don't really know what it is to be 'lesbilicious'!

Well I didn't expect to read that today.
Thanks BB

OffTheBackAdam

Two top riders, battling for number one spot in their national team.
Apart from they're British & female, what's unusual about this?

Tom Butcher

Nothing - but perhaps it's unusual that one should come out and criticise the other in public like that and seemingly have the support of BC staff in doing so - especially when some of what they are saying doesn't match up to what actually happened at the Worlds.

Monty Dog

Folks seem to be forgetting that Pooley's selfless ride at Bejiing allowed Cooke an armchair ride. Lizzi should get the teamleader role for the Olympics due to he sprinting

dave_1

what does Cooke earn if she helps Armistead win? Cycling is an individual sport first , not a team sport..that's a lowly second... Asking Downing..he should probably have done as Nicole did a few times in 2011. Well done Nicole.

shinyhelmut

Dave_1 wrote:

what does Cooke earn if she helps Armistead win?

Selection?

Le Commentateur

Secteur wrote:

I think it shows a suprising lack of judgement to make such comments publically for many reasons.

It's disrespectful to the team and shows a lack of team spirit and it show her competitors that the womens team has problems and is, perhaps, weak.

Perhaps that's the plan: to plant the idea that the team won't be a cohesive unit next summer at the Olympics.

squired

Partly due to injuries and team issues, Nicole hasn't been performing as well in recent seasons. Having said that, she is still a top-level cyclist. Lizzie seems like a good rider. I've only seen her at Manchester Velodrome, where she was extremely impressive.

Any team in the Olympics needs to have multiple gameplans. They can name a specific person as leader (such as Cav in the mens), but with small teams I'm not sure that will work. If it does come down to a bunch sprint I'd definitely put my money on Lizzie. However, if it splits Nicole is probably more likely to be up there. Sadly the course probably won't be hard enough for Emma Pooley.

Pross

For all her faults when it comes to being a team player Nicole is still a big game rider and knows how to win major races. It isn't always a case of having the quicker sprint and she knows how to be in the right pace at the right time. She has had to be independent ever since she was a youngster riding local crits against the boys and BC didn't give her much support in those early years. That said she finally won the Olympics thanks to the support of her team after getting worked over in 2004.