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Olympic Champions in Ardeche
4th October 2008
Nicole Cooke, Emma Pooley and Sharon Laws confirmed their form in preperation for the world championships at the end of September, with strong performances
in the five-day Tour Ardèche in France (9-13 September).
All three finished in the top six overall, with both Cooke and Pooley winning individual stages. Pooley, silver medallist in the Olympic time trial in Beijing, finished the race in second place overall, one minute and 50 seconds behind American Amber Neben of Team Flexpoint.
Cooke won a tight sprint at the end of the 128 km second stage from Le Pouzin to Beauchastel, and Pooley took the fourth stage of the race between Chomerac and Cruas. Cooke went on to take a second place at Villeneuve de Berg, as well as coming fourth in no less than four other stages.
On the final 86 km stage at Bourg Saint Andeol, Sharon Laws narrowly lost a bunch sprint to former double world champion Susanne Ljungskog, with whom she had broken clear of the main field. This pushed her into fifth place in the final overall classification. Cooke finished the overall race in sixth, but won both the sprint and points competitions. Emma Pooley won the overall mountains classification.
The Tour Ardeche was the first competitive outing for the trio since they raced together at the Olympics in August. They were part of a six-strong Great Britain team along with Jess Allen and Catherine Hare as well as Rachel Heal.
Cooke, Pooley and Laws then travelled to Varese in Italy for the World Championships (23-28 September) where the Great Britain team were ranked among the favourites for medal success in the Women's Road Race. Newly crowned Olympic Champion Nicole Cooke looked understandably relaxed and at ease with herself as she built up to the World Championships at the end of September where she achieved a spectacular win.
Still only 25 years old, Welsh cyclist Nicole Cooke has already surpassed the achievements of any female rider that has gone before her – the victory in the Olympic Games Road Race and World Championship Road Race in one year to go with the world championship medals from other years saw to that.
