Cooke has won the World Cup twice (2003, 2006) the Grand Boucle Feminine (2006, 2007) and just about every major World Cup event on the calendar. She?s been national road race champion eight times, was Commonwealth Games champion in 2002 and won three junior World Championship gold medals. An Olympic or World Championship gold is all that?s missing ? and she intends to put that right this year.
Major results 2007 1st Grande Boucle Féminine; 1st Tour of Flanders; 1st Geelong World Cup
2006 1st World Cup overall; 1st Grande Boucle Féminine; 1st Fléche Wallonne; 1st Castilla y Leon World Cup; bronze World Championship road race; bronze Commonwealth Games road race
2005 silver World Championship road race; 1st Fléche Wallonne
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2004 1st Giro d?Italia; 5th Olympic Games road race
2003 1st World Cup overall; 1st Amstel Gold Race; 1st Fléche Wallonne; 1st GP Plouay; bronze World Championship road race
2002 1st Commonwealth Games road race
2001 Junior world road race and time trial champion
2000 Junior world road race champion
JESSICA ALLEN
Age: 18
From: Brecon, Wales
Initially spotted by the Welsh talent team, then selected for the Olympic Development Programme in 2006. She has been national junior time trial champion for the past two years.
Major results 2007 1st national junior time trial championship; 1st national 25-mile time trial championship
2006 1st national junior time trial championship
LIZZIE ARMITSTEAD
Age: 19
From: Otley, Yorkshire
Already an accomplished rider on the road and track with a European under-23 scratch race title to her name last year.
Major results
2007 1st scratch race, under-23 European Championships
2006 1st national criterium championship
KATIE COLCLOUGH
Age: 17
From: Grantham, Lincs
Another Olympic Development Programme rider and the youngest member of the squad.
Major results 2007 2nd Olveston national series road race
KATIE CURTIS Age: 19
From: Cardiff, Wales
Won the scratch race at the British Championships in 2005.
Major results 2007 8th scratch race, world track championships
2005 1st scratch race, British national championships
CATHERINE HARE
Age: 24
From: Whitby, North Yorkshire
A former triathlete who turned to cycling in 2004, Hare rode for Rapha-Condor last season and was fourth in the national championships.
Major results 2007 4th national championship; 17th World Cup, Sweden; 30th World Championship; 4th stage 3 Grande Boucle Féminine
20042nd under-23 National Championship
WENDY HOUVENAGHEL
Age: 33
From: Cornwall
A former cross-country runner who used cycling to recover from an injury before being spotted by British Cycling. National pursuit champion in 2005 and 2006. Has also won World Cup pursuit titles and is in the running for a medal at the Olympics.
Major results
2007 1st individual pursuit, Manchester World Cup; 4th individual pursuit World Championships
2006 1st individual pursuit British Championships; 1st individual pursuit Moscow World Cup
2005 1st World Cup individual pursuit series; 1st individual pursuit Sydney World Cup
JOANNA ROWSELL
Age: 19
From: Cheam, Surrey
Spotted by the British Cycling talent scouts who visited her school in 2004. She?s since represented Britain at European and world level. Won the junior national pursuit title in her first year as a rider and was under-23 national road race champion in 2006. Rode for Global Racing Team last year.
Major results 2007 silver CTT national 10-mile time trial championship
2006 1st national under-23 road race championship; 3rd national road race championship; 1st Bedford two-day
TANJA SLATER
Age: 29
From: Preston, Lancashire
Another former triathlete, who rode for Raleigh-Lifeforce last season. Second in the national circuit race championship in 2006 and won a stage of the Grande Boucle Feminine at Casteljaloux in 2007.
Major results
2007 1st stage 4 Grande Boucle Féminine; 23rd overall Tour de l?Aude
20061st women?s national series road race (Caperrnwray); 2nd national circuit race championship; 5th national road race championship
EMMA TROTT
Age: 18
From: Welwyn Garden City, Herts
Second in the national time trial championship and third in the junior road race in 2007.
Major results
2007 1st national 10-mile championship, 3rd national junior road race
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HALFORDS BIKEHUT ? THE MEN
ROB HAYLES
Age: 34
From: Portsmouth
He has medals from the Olympics, World Championships and Commonwealth Games as well as a string of national titles. An integral part of the team pursuit squad for a decade. He rode as a professional for Cofidis between 2001 and 2003.
TOM SOUTHAM
Age: 26
From: Cornwall
Impressed on the domestic scene before joining Barloworld in Italy. Moved to Australia to race in 2006 but returns to Britain next month.
LINKS
Lead story: Halfords Bikehut team revealed
Interviews: Cooke talks about the new team
Interview: Southam relishing challenge
Nostalgia: ANC-Halfords 20 years on
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Sports journalist Lionel Birnie has written professionally for Sunday Times, Procycling and of course Cycling Weekly. He is also an author, publisher, and co-founder of The Cycling Podcast. His first experience covering the Tour de France came in 1999, and he has presented The Cycling Podcast with Richard Moore and Daniel Friebe since 2013. He founded Peloton Publishing in 2010 and has ghostwritten and published the autobiography of Sean Kelly, as well as a number of other sports icons.
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