Friday 12 October- 9:00 - Junior Women's Road Race - 72.6 km (6 laps)

Results    Profile & start list    Previous race    Next race

Two from two: Nicole Cooke crushes in Lisbon

By Jeff Jones

Nicole Cooke
Photo: © Sirotti

Great Britain's Nicole Cooke has added a second gold medal to her haul in Lisbon this year, winning the 72.7 km Junior Women's Road Race to go with her time trial victory on Tuesday. Cooke once again showed her strength on the tough course of Monsanto, attacking her three breakaway companions on the last climb of the Cote d'Alvito to solo in 17 seconds clear of Dutch rider Pleuni Möhlmann. Poland's Maja Wloszczowska finished with the bronze medal with Russian Natalia Boiarskaia coming home in fourth.

Cooke's achievement to win two gold medals was impressive - only Canadian star Genevieve Jeanson managed it in this category, taking both events in Treviso/Verona in 1999. As a testament to her ability, Cooke also won the World MTB Championship in Vail last month. Let's not forget that she competes in cyclo-cross in winter, and this year finished 7th in the Elite Women's class at the World's in Tabor, Czech Republic.

The break
Photo: © Sirotti

By the halfway point of the race, Cooke was already away with Lithuanians Modesta Vzesniauskaite and Indre Januleviciute, as well as Boiarskaia, Möhlmann and Wloszczowska. The six became four as the two Lithuanians were dropped with over one lap (12.1 km) to go.

Then on the last lap, Nicole made her race winning attack on the Cote d'Alvito. "I've never seen a crowd like that; there were so many British people cheering for me - it was incredible," she told Cyclingnews afterwards. "The power of the crowd gave me the confidence to attack."

Cooke wins
Photo: © Sirotti

That kept her going all the way to the finish as she crossed triumphantly, well clear of Möhlmann and Wloszczowska. Cooke was the pre-race favourite, and she handled it well. "I had a lot more pressure on me this year, but thanks to my family I was able to manage it," she said.

"Next year I'm turning senior and I'm looking forward to a calm year. I'll probably target some races but nothing specific. My success is really due to all the hard work I did and the support from my family. They have been really great for the last seven years [I have been racing]," finished Cooke.

Nicole Cooke will be riding for Maurizio Fabretto's powerful Lithuanian/Italian squad, Acca Due O, next season.

Photography

Photos provided by Fotoreporter Sirotti

The Italian team - ready to start in the Junior Women's Road Race
The peloton - on the climb
Maja Wloszczowska (Poland) - leads the break up the climb
Members of the Italian team - mounted an ineffective chase
One of the Italians - in pursuit of the break
Nicole Cooke (GBr) - in action
Nicole Cooke - crosses the line to win
Nicole Cooke - salutes the crowd on the podium
The podium: Pleuni Möhlmann, Nicole Cooke and Maja Wloszczowska

Results

1 Nicole Cooke (GBr)                     2.01.25 (35.93 km/h)
2 Pleuni Möhlmann (Ned)                     0.17
3 Maja Wloszczowska (Pol)                   0.29
4 Natalia Boiarskaia (Rus)                  1.18
5 Giorgia Bronzini (Ita)                    1.46
6 Charlotte Becker (Ger)
7 Diana Elmentaite (Ltu)
8 Vera Koedooder (Ned)
9 Modesta Vzesniauskaite (Ltu)
10 Andrea Knecht (Swi)
11 Madeleine Sandig (Ger)
12 Nina Ovcharenko (Ukr)
13 Claudia Stumpf (Ger)
14 Anna Zugno (Ita)                         1.50
15 Magali Mocquery (Fra)                    2.54
16 Gessica Turato (Ita)                     5.28
17 Miranda Vierling (Ned)                   6.09
18 Mette Fischer Andreasen (Den)
19 Emma Johansson (Swe)
20 Vicky Fournial (Fra)
21 Karolina Raby (Pol)
22 Helene Tveter (Nor)
23 Lauren Franges (USA)
24 Sharon Vandromme (Bel)
25 Aleksandra Zabrocka (Pol)
26 Tatyana Palchynska (Ukr)
27 Indre Januleviciute (Ltu)
28 Daniela Fusar Poli (Ita)
29 Tatsiana Sharakova (Blr)
30 Anastassia Iakovleva (Rus)
31 Patricia Schwager (Swi)
32 Judith Baumann (Swi)
33 Andrea Lüscher (Swi)
34 Svetlana Sergueeva (Rus)
35 Karine Gautard (Fra)
36 Naiara Telletxea Lopez (Spa)
37 Kathy Ingels (Bel)
38 Fanny Riberot (Fra)                     12.10
39 Dianne Emery (RSA)                      13.40
40 Julita Papinigyte (Ltu)
41 Vanessa Crawford (Aus)
42 Magen Long (USA)                        15.14
43 Bernadette Schober (Aut)                15.15
44 Maria Eugenia Parra Constante (Ecu)     15.55
45 Genevieve Leblanc (Can)                 16.35
46 Olga Chemezova (Rus)                    16.39
47 Katie Brown (Aus)                       16.56
48 Ana Isabel Mata Blanco (Spa)
49 Laura Juliana Castro Gomez (Col)        17.29
50 Lorna Webb (GBr)                        17.51
51 Laura Yorsten (Can)
52 Lore Txurruka Ansola (Spa)              20.12
53 Ludivine Henrion (Bel)
54 Monica Haydee Huerta Barron (Mex)       21.34
55 Stiliani Tatidi (Gre)                   22.02
56 Persefoni Fragiadaki (Gre)              23.42
57 Magalie Boulay (Can)
DNF Suzanne De Goede (Ned)

To the top ::      Back ::