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RACE REPORTS: COOKE WINS WOMENS OLYMPIC ROAD RACE
Road Bike Action & AFP
August 10, 2008
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photo Rob Jones / Canadian Cyclist
On a cold, rainy day reminiscent of her home back in Wales, Nicole Cooke brought Britain their first gold medal of the Beijing Olympic Games when she won the women's cycling road race on Sunday. Sweden's Emma Johansson took the silver medal with Italian Tatiana Guderzo placing third for the bronze.
photo Rob Jones / Canadian Cyclist: Cooke Powers To Gold
25 year old Cooke is one of the most successful women road racers of modern times but came into the Games still looking for an elusive first major international crown. Today she was Queen For A Day. "We did it. It was perfect, it's a dream come true," blurted Cooke, the first Welsh gold medallist at an Olympic Games since equestrien Richard Meade had two gold medals in 1972. "I have worked so hard. I'm just so happy." Cooke, an eight-time British champion, junior world champion and two-time winner of the women's Tour de France is a superb rider, although not well likes in the womens peloton for her arrogance and sometimes pushy ways in the group. But Nicole almost always has the legs to back up her attitude and today took her biggest win ever.
24 year old Swede Emma Johansson had the ride of her life to take the silver medal, admitted she had been expecting a tight finish. "I knew it would be a good finish for me, although I knew both Nicole and Tatiana also had a good finish," said the Swede. I just tried to concentrate and not worry about any other riders." Johansson, who rides for the AA Drinks team had just finished 6th place in the Thüringen Rundfahrt. "I was quite surpised about weather today," said Johansson, who had been expecting heat and humidity. "Sometimes, instead of overheating, I felt like I was drowning at times, there was so much water on the road. On the descent it was freezing, and I couldn't stop shaking.”
23 year old Italian Tatiana Guderzo took the Bronze medal today in Beijing and in some ways the Italian from Marostica was the moral winner today, as her audacious aggression made the 2008 Womens Olympic Road Race an exciting affair. Wearing a huge smile, Guderzo told Italian TV post race that "this year didn't start that well for me. I had no results and was feeling down, but thanks to my family and my team I managed to come back". Guderzo was referring to her ups and down during her career, where she has struggled with her weight and depression.
Guderzo was on the attack all day and in the end, her team's plan worked. "Our team plan was to attack because we wanted to try to whittle down the field as much as possible so we could arrive at the finish line with as few riders as possible," explained Guderzo. Current Italian TT champion, Guderzo was nothing but positive about her performance today. "I knew I had a lot of grinta (guts) and determination and today, all the work I did to get here was paid back. I know what kind of rider I am and just being steady and staying focused can pay off...but I still have to understand what I did today. Now it's time for a little festa."
photo Rob Jones / Canadian Cyclist: Womens Olympic Podium
Dutch phenom Marianne Vos had been aiming for three golds but will now have to focus on the time trial and track cycling's points race after failing to react to a decisive move towards the end of the 126 kilometre race. She finished sixth, first of a small group that had been chasing Cooke's five-strong group, finishing 21 seconds behind the Welshwoman. "I saw the group breaking away but I was too far behind to react right away. But to be honest, there wasn't much left in the legs," said the 21-year-old, who has already won world titles in road, track and cyclo-cross.
German Judith Arndt hoping to better her Athens silver in Beijing, but didn’t have it in the final lap. Arndt admitted that the rain, which left treacherous puddles on many sections of the course, did not help her. "I felt like I was a paddleboat," said the German. "I'm very disappointed. We wanted a medal."
Australian Sara Carrigan beat Arndt to the gold in 2004, but she and team leader Wood lost touch in the crucial closing stages of the race. As the Oympic peloton hit the climb for the second and last time, the Aussies ran out of juice. With 18km to go, they lost support rider Kate Bates, and Wood was 29th, while Carrigan was 38th. "It's a disappointing result for us but I guess on the day in the road race you can only give it 100 percent," said Wood. Carrigan admitted that surrendering her crown had been a painful experience. "Former Olympic champion - it's a little bit sad (to hear)," said Carrigan.
49 year old Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli was not a factor on the cold, rainy day. "I felt good on the first climb but on the second climb I just didn't quite have it to go with the leaders, and that was my race over." Longo-Ciprelli is in her seventh Olympics, with 13 world titles and 55 national titles to her credit, the two most recent French titles won in June on the road and in the time trial. After preparing for another shot at the title in the dry heat of Colorado and New Mexico, the 1996 Olympic road champion admitted to feeling the cold. "Halfway through the race I had to take the lead of the peloton because my muscles were cold and I just wanted to get them going," said ." Longo-Ciprelli. "I am a bit disappointed because I'm in the best shape for a long time. But I do have big expectations for the time trial."
photo Rob Jones / Canadian Cyclist:Bad Day For Armstrong & Team USA At Olympics
The cold and rain was not good for Team USA and their top finisher was Kristen Armstrong, in 25th. Armstrong explained post-race “A lot of people went down trying to get into the first climb, and I actually went down as well. Unfortunately, it just wasn't our day. We came into the race, thinking we would have to eat and drink, and try to stay cool, but halfway through the race (on the way to the circuit) we were told it was raining at the top, and we had to take rain jackets and hot tea to try and stay warm.”
How It Happened:
On an overcast morning in Yongdingmen Park, the 2008 Womens Olympic Road Race commenced with the temperature at 75 degrees and the relative humidity at 95% . After 60km of racing, the skies opened up and a tropical deluge soaked the womens Olympic peloton. Russian Burchenkova attacked as the hills and Great Wall loomed and Team USA's Christine Thorburn and Australia's Kate Bates hit the front to pull back the Russian, while a cautious Jeanne Longo-Ciprelli hung off the back of the peloton
With 50km to go, Burchenkova brought back with average speed only 32km/hr, with the first climb up Badaling Mountain Road close at hand. 66 riders still together after 2h12” of racing as Korean rider Gu made a beautiful header into a ditch but got back up. With 78km ridden and 48km to go, it was peloton groupee' as the Women started their two laps of the tough Great Wall circuit. Nicole Cooke was right up front, with American Amber Neben marking her closely. American Thorburn was making hard tempo again to make a first selection on the climb, while Longo-Ciprelli was riding right at the back of the group.
As the pace slowed, Russian Boyarskaya attacked and there was no chase of the 25 year old TT specialist who rides for Team Fenix in Italy and won the Tour Féminin en Limousin this year. Boyarskaya quickly gained ground on the climb, while German Kupfernagel unshipped her chain and had to chase back after a performing a perfect cyclocross remount. On the 2nd part of the climb, Brit Emma Pooley attacked and Vesinskaite (LTU) was also chasing hard as Lungskog and Worrack marked.
Near the top of the climb, Boyarskaya missed a turn but atop the climb, she had gained 1'10", But the determined chase behind by the Germans on the long descent had cut her lead in half as the Russian approached the final lap. Behind the solo frontrunner, just before the toll plaza with 800m left in the lap, Canadian Alex Wrubelski crashed on the wet, slippery roads. Boyarskaya gap on the bell lap was 30" and falling and as the climb commenced, Brit Emma Pooley powered after the Russian, while Guderzo bridged up 22km to go and the two chasers caught the Russian with 21km to go. 4th in the 2008 Womens Giro d'Italia, Guderzo was just starting her incredible ride.
photo Rob Jones / Canadian Cyclist:Boyarskaya On The Attack
Behind the front trio, the Germans and Aussies were chasing hard 30" back, with Arndt pulling hard and being marking by Cooke and Italian Noemi Cantele. As the pace increased and the torrential downpour kept up, top names like Kupfernagle and defending Olympic champ Carrigan popped, while American Amber Nebens chain came off and she was distanced. Halfway up the climb, the three rider break was caught, then
Zabirova tried to sneak away, followed by Worrack and were covered by Cantele. Zabirova snuck off again, with Arndt chasing hard and there were only 25 riders left in contention with 18km to go. Once Zabirova was caught again, Austrian Souder made a hard attack but was caught by Worrack, with Swede Lungskog lurking behind.
As the 2nd part of the climb began after the underpass chicane Worrack attacks, but Lungskog was right there. Longo had now moved up front with 15k to go and Zabirova goes again, Longo bridges but
the Germans cover everything. Suddenly, Guderzo made a strong counter with Lungskog and Cooke after her and behind, Longo accelerates, while Arndt and Armstrong were popped after 3h15" of racing.
photo Rob Jones / Canadian Cyclist: The Chase Is On
Guderzo attacked again for 4th time on the climb and there was now a desperate chase behind her led by Lungskog with only 20 women left in the race now. Guderzo had made the move of the day and topped the final climb with a 10" lead and just14km to go. Behind it was the strong Austrian Soeder who pulled Villumsen, Johanssen and Nicole Cooke free of the others. The chasing quartet had Guderzo in sight and were closing the gap in the tunnel and there were now 5 together with just 10km to go.
Chasing the front quintet in peloton 11" behind were Vos, Worrack, Longo and Zabirova, but with the tailwind going down the mountain the break was away for good. As the final kilometer began, the break’s lead was 16" and in the finale, the powerful Cooke went long and lead out the sprint for a decisive win for the Welshwomen.
2008 Womens Olympic Road Race Results
1. Nicole Cooke (Great Britain) / 126.4km / 3h32'24"
(35.706km/hr avg. speed)
2. Emma Johansson (Sweden)
3. Tatiana Guderzo (Italy) @ same time
4. Christiane Soeder (Austria) @ :04"
5. Linda Villumsen Serup (Denmark) @ :09"
6. Marianne Vos (Netherlands) @ :21"
7. Priska Doppmann (Switzerland)
8. Paulina Brzezna (Poland)
9. Edita Pucinskaite (Lithuania)
10. Zulfiya Zabirova (Kazakhstan)
11. Jolanta Polikeviciute (Lithuania)
12. Julia Martisova (Russian Federation)
13. Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (France)
14. Maryline Salvetat (France)
15. Noemi Cantele (Italy) @ all same time
16. Min Gao (China)@ :28"
17. Leigh Hobson (Canada)
18. Nicole Brändli (Switzerland)
19. Anna Sanchis (Spain)
20. Trixi Worrack (Germany)
21. Susanne Ljungskog (Sweden) @ all same time
22. Yevgeniya Vysotska (Ukraine) @ :31"
23. Emma Pooley (Great Britain) @ same time
24. Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli (France)@ :33"
25. Kristin Armstrong (United States) @ :43"
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