4th Women's Ronde van Vlaanderen - CDM

Belgium, April 8, 2007

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net

• Nicole Cooke (Raleigh Lifeforce) looked confident at the sign in.
• The bunch early in the race.
• The 'home' team is presented: Vlaanderen-Caprisonne-T-Interim.
• The start line 10 minutes before the race got underway.
• The women's course takes in part of the men's course.
• Suzanne De Goede (T-Mobile) on the Molenberg.
• Marina Jaunâtre (Futuroscope) on the climb.
• Sharon van Essen (DSB Bank) works hard.
• Liane Bahler (Fenixs Colnago) has a problem with her gears.
• Liane Bahler (Fenixs Colnago) has to walk - no vehicles were allowed on the Molenberg.
• Nicole Cooke and Jo Kiesanowski (Raleigh Lifeforce) together.
• Julie Dheruel (Futuroscope) corners in the bunch.
• Team Bigla dominate the front on this climb.
• Italian Champion Fabiana Luperini is riding for Menikini in 2007.
• Riders chase through the cars and the dust back into the bunch.
• Climbing out of Oudenaarde after 57 kilometres of riding.
• The steep Belgian hills.
• Steep and narrow hills - riders and spectators vie for space.
• Nicole Cooke (Raleigh Lifeforce) wins ahead of Zoulfia Zabirova (Team Bigla) and Marianne Vos (DSB Bank).
• The race podium (l-r): Zabirova (Team Bigla), Cooke (Raleigh Lifeforce) and Vos (DSB Bank).

Images by AFP

• Cooke wins the sprint in the women's race
• Nicole Cooke (Raleigh-Lifeforce Creation) won the 4th women's Ronde

Images by Ben Atkins/Cyclingnews

• British Cyclo Cross Champion Helen Wyman (Global Racing) seems to be looking forward to today's race.
• Italian Champion Fabiana Luperini (Menkini-Selle Italia- Cogeas) is wrapped up warm against the early morning chill.
• T-Mobile women get to use the same kit as the men - some nice Giants await the riders.
• The Safi-PastaZara-Manhattan team rugged up against the cold.
• British U23 Champion Joanna Rowsell and the Global Racing Team after signing on.
• Not sure what those three boxes are for but they were very popular before the race this morning.
• The Fenix-HPB Team on their way to the sign on podium.
• Commonwealth Champion Natalie Bates (Getranke-Hoffmann) is always smiling!
• Swedish Champion Suzanne Ljungskog (Flexpoint) was second in 2005, but could only manage sixth today.
• The Vienne Futuroscope Team get some directions from their directeur sportif.
• Team USA! All wear their team shorts while on tour in Europe.
• Andrea Graus and Regina Schleicher (Nurnberger- Versicherung) are in a hurry to get back to their team bus before the start.
• World Champion Marianne Vos (DSB Bank) is interviewed on the podium.
• Marianne Vos looks serene today but couldn't quite get the victory she wanted - finishing third.
• Nicole Cooke (Raleigh-Lifeforce) leans on teammate Karin Thurig as she would do much later in the race.
• Ina Yoko-Teutenberg (T-Mobile) looks serious this morning.
• German legend Judith Arndt (T-Mobile) looks pensive before the start.
• Oenone Wood (T-Mobile) is always ready with a smile.
• The Menkini-Selle Italia-Cogeas Team get ready to go.
• Nicole Cooke (Raleigh-Lifeforce) spots her favourite journalist!
• Czech Champion Lada Kozlikova (Uniqa) smiles on her way to the start line.
• The Dutch Team know very well how important it is to keep hydrated.
• Nurnberger-Versicherung's Trixi Worrack (right) made the final selection, but could only manage fourth today.
• Priska Doppmann (Raleigh-Lifeforce) rolls up to the start.
• Kazakh Champion Zoufil Zabirova (Bigla) was narrowly beaten by a rampant Cooke today.
• The Michela Fanini-Record Rox team look determined at the start.
• Ina Yoko-Teutenberg (T-Mobile) enjoys a laugh before the race.
• The Dutch Team are now ready to go.
• Alison Powers (Team USA) looks ready to ride.
• World Champion Marianne Vos (DSB Bank) looks happy to get going.
• The women's peloton waits for the gun.
• Diana Ziliute (Safi-Pasta Zara-Manhattan) still seems to be feeling the cold.
• The Raleigh-Lifeforce team turn the screw on the Mater cobbles.
• Nicole Cooke (Raleigh-Lifeforce) is tucked in behind her teammate Karin Thurig.
• Nicole Cooke (Raleigh-Lifeforce) looks born to ride cobbles.
• Raleigh-Lifeforce's pressure has had the effect of decimating the field further back.
• The Dutch team riders work hard in one group in an effort to bring things back together.
• Italian Champion Fabiana Luperini (Menkini-Selle Italia- Cogeas) doesn't seem to be designed for this kind of surface.
• Even local girls can be made to suffer the Belgian National team aren't spared on their home roads.
• Another group makes efforts to regain contact with the front of the race.
• Close teammates. Race winner Nicole Cooke thanks her teammate Karin Thurig for all her efforts today.
• More hugs. Priska Doppmann gets a thank you from Cooke.
• This is a very close knit team A win for Cooke is a win for all of them.
• Nicole once again spots her favourite journalist.
• Karin Thurig put so much into the race that she can hardly hold her head up to drink her post race Coke.
• Can't stop smiling Race winner Nicole Cooke enjoys the interviews that come with victory.