Nicole Cooke
Date of birth: 13/04/1983
From: Wick, Wales
Team: Retired
Previous teams: Faren-Honda Racing Team (2012); Mario Cipollini-Giordana (2011), Vision 1 Racing (2009), Halfords-Bikehut (2008); Univega-Raleigh-Lifeforce (2007), Ausra Gruodis-Safi (2005-06)
Nicole Cooke career profile
Nicole Cooke took up cycling at an early age and became the youngest ever woman to win the national road race the age of 16 in 1999. Cooke went on to win La Flèche Wallonne and the World Cup before becoming a professional with the Ausra-Gruodis Safi squad.
As a multi-British road race champion, Cooke's success is prolific; combined with climbing talent and a rapid turn of speed. She has also won national titles in cyclo-cross, track and mountain bike. Cooke is, without doubt, one of the most successful cyclists to ever hail from Great Britain - both in domestic competition and on the international stage.
In 2008, Cooke arguably had her best year as a professional, first winning the Olympic Games road race in Beijing and then doing the double by winning the World Championship road race in Varese, Italy. This is the first time in the sport's history that any woman has won both titles in the same year. She also successfully defended her British road race champion title.
By Cooke's own high standards, 2010 was a lean year with a lone stage win at the Iurreta-Emakumeen Bira stage race alongside fifth in the Commonwealth Games women's road race and fourth in the World Championships road race.
Cooke signed for the new Mario Cipollini-Giordana squad based in Italy for the 2011 season, winning a stage of the Giro Donne. A switch to Faren-Honda for 2012, saw her take a stage of the Energiewacht Tour in April.
Cooke announced her immediate retirement from the sport on Monday, January 14 2013.
Nicole Cooke results
2012
Energiewacht Tour, stage five
2011
Giro Donne; stage five
2010
Iurreta-Emakumeen Bira; stage three
2009
Giro del Trentino; stage two
Giro del Trentino; overall
Giro del Trentino; points classification
Iurreta-Emakumeen Bira; stage two
Iurreta-Emakumeen Bira; stage 3b
British Champion, Road Race
2008
World Champion, Road Race
Olympic Champion, Road Race
British Champion, Road Race
Tour de L'Aude, stage one
Tour de L'Ardèche, stage one
2007
Ronde van Vlannderen
Geelong World Cup
La Grande Boucle Féminine, stage three
La Grande Boucle Féminine, overall
Geelong Tour, overall
British Road Race Champion
Trofeo Alfredo Binda
Trofeo Costa Etrusca
Albstadt Etappenrennen, Stage 2
2006
World Cup Series winner
Fleche Wallonne
Castilla y Leon
La Grande Boucle Féminine, stage one
La Grande Boucle Féminine, stage two
La Grande Boucle Féminine, overall
Thüringen-Rundfahrt, stage two
Thüringen-Rundfahrt, stage four a and b
Thüringen-Rundfahrt, stage five
Thüringen-Rundfahrt, overall
British Road Race Champion
Magali Pache Time Trial
2005
Fleche Wallonne
GP Wallonie
Trofeo Alfredo Binda
Trofeo Citta di Rosignano
British Road Race Champion
Holland Ladies Tour, stage five
Giro Della Toscana, stage one a
2004
Giro Donne, overall
Giro Donne, stage eight
GP San Francisco/T Mobile International
British Road Race Champion
Giro Della Toscana, stage one a
2003
UCI Women's World Cup Champion
Amstel Gold Race
Flèche Wallonne
GP Plouay
British Road Race Champion
GP San Francisco
Holland Ladies Tour, stage five
Giro Della Toscana, stage three a
2002
Commonwealth Games Road Race
British Road Race Champion
Trofeo Citta di Rosignano
Memorial Pasquale di Carlo
Tour Midi Pyrenees, Stage 2
Tour Midi Pyrenees, mountains jersey
Trofeo Banca Populaire, Stage 2
Trofeo Banca Populaire, mountains jersey
Ronde van Westerbeek
2001
World Championship Junior Road Race
World Championship Junior Time Trial
World Championship Junior Mountain Bike Race
British Road Race Champion
British Cyclo Cross Champion (youngest ever)
Grand Prix de Quebec, mountains jersey
2000
World Championship Junior Road Race
1999
British Road Race Champion (youngest ever)
1994-8
British Youth Mountain Bike Championships, four titles
British Youth Cyclo-Cross Championships, three titles
Nicole Cooke photos
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Related links
Cycling Weekly's Rider Profiles: Index
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