Nicole Cooke: Rider Profile

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