Bespoke interview with Nicole Cooke

thefd

I've just listened to the interview with Nicole Cooke on the podcast. I don't know the ins and outs but she is very bitter towards Bristish Cycling, Dave Brailsford but more in particular to Shane Sutton - is it justified or is she being somewhat harsh?

Without knowing much about it she didn't come across too well!

jgsi

Her book explains the often fraught relationship between herself and BC
Personally I am on her side.
The book also contains good writing of race set pieces and tactics that are worthy of note.

Lookyhere

When you watch her win that road race title against Vos, so exciting, I didn't think she d make it, amazing rider and if her book is 1/2 accurate, just reason to be anti BC.

de_sisti

I was in the audience for her talk at the Cheltenham lit festival last Sunday. I even managed to get
a question in to her in the Q & A. Also got the book signed, a selfie with her and cleared up my confusion
about the photo in (Consultant) Mr Majkowski's office.

de_sisti

TheFD wrote:

I've just listened to the interview with Nicole Cooke on the podcast.
Without knowing much about it she didn't come across too well!

I disagree. I thought she came across very well indeed!!

Dippydog3

How sad is the taste of women's cycling? I had to Google to find out who Nicole Cooke is.

Very impressive Palmares (is that the right word?).

They need a marketeer, but it will take time. If they can move things at the speed of women's professional golf that would be a big achievement and that has taken twenty years to go from complete obscurity to a quality second place.

imposter2.0

Some say Nicole is not the easiest of people to work with...

Bozman

It'd say that she's changed because she used to come across ok but now she seems so bitter, makes you wonder whether she's just a little miffed that as her career has ended women's cycling is on the up.

de_sisti

Dippydog3 wrote:

How sad is the taste of women's cycling? I had to Google to find out who Nicole Cooke is.

As you're probably a newbie you wouldn't be expected to know.

Rodrego Hernandez

Pretty one sided, as most autobiographies are.

Awesome talent, possible ahead of her time but I can't help but think that the way she and particularly her father went about things might have worked against them.

Some time ago, her father bought shares in Time Warner (owners of IPC media, publishers of Cycling Weekly) and contacted the board asking why there wasn't more coverage of Nicole in Cycling Weekly. Possibly not the best way to get them on her side.

She also neglected to mention the knee problems that plagued her career and any correlation with training in the winter in shorts.

BC / WCU did a lot for her but by all accounts she was very difficult. She did win an Olympid gold / World title with help from BC / Dave B / Shane Sutton so they can't have been that useless!

durhamwasp

Currently reading her book and its a brilliant eye-opening read, which states what I have seen in cycling and other sports in the UK, and I'm on her side.

Well recommend reading it, feels like the first book I have read that hasn't been from a rider 'inside the magic circle' of BC.

She has been some bike rider, and has the results to prove it. Something I fear the current British hope will never do.

durhamwasp

Rodrego Hernandez wrote:

BC / WCU did a lot for her but by all accounts she was very difficult.

Are all those accounts from people inside BC? I have a feeling many of those were planted stories at the right time. My opinion of course.

DeVlaeminck

Rodrego Hernandez wrote:

BC / WCU did a lot for her but by all accounts she was very difficult. She did win an Olympid gold / World title with help from BC / Dave B / Shane Sutton so they can't have been that useless!

Yeah there are a lot of UK riders who are very difficult - especially women - funny that.