Last weekend I attended a Talent Team training camp at the Welsh National Velodrome and there giving some advice to would be world champions was a rider, Nicole Cooke, who has four times won the right to wear the Rainbow jersey of World Champion. Nicole who is also the Commonwealth Games Road Race Champion and won the Women�s World Road Cup this year was also the deserved winner of the BBC�s Welsh Sports Personality of the Year. A few nights before we met Nicole had been telling me a funny story of how fame followed her around the lanes near her home when she was out training.

�I have really noticed that I can go into shops and go out and about and people will recognise me� she explained.

�The day after I won, I was cycling through Cowbridge, which isn�t a particularly big place, and there was a person who I didn�t see until she shouted out � look its Nicole Cooke, well done!� and so I waved back and carried on. Definitely that�s good and whilst people have bikes, they don�t tend to take up racing so hopefully, people will now realise its good fun racing.�

�Firstly, I am absolutely amazed by it to be honest. It was the public voting so it was down to everyone who voted for me and I have to say a big thank you to them. I definitely know the Welsh cyclists got behind me as well as many from the UK as well. Hopefully it shows what I have achieved through cycling has caught the imagination of a lot of people that wouldn�t normally be interested in cycling.�

�The Welsh media has been good in covering the results where in the past they hadn�t been so that is definitely a big improvement and that is good for myself as well as cycling.�

GETTING OVER THE KNEE INJURY
One of the problems Nicole has had to battle against all year since her crash in Canada is a knee problem. She was however all smiles when I saw her and the good news is that the knee does appear to be getting better quicker. Well, good news for those of us who support her in the UK, but not perhaps so good for her rivals overseas. �I am still going to take it easy in the coming week� she said �and perhaps take in a few long rides but take it steady and then by next weekend, I should be ready to go.�

�I have tried my best to maintain my fitness but it�s been six weeks since I have ridden properly and in that time the longest ride I was able to do was 40 minutes perhaps twice or three times a week. It was never fully recovered and it went on and on and on but now it is better."

When I asked what advice she has for other athletes who find themselves in that frustrating position of wanting to train and work on their fitness only to find an injury holding them back?

�There is no point riding through it and thinking it will go away because it obviously has started for a reason and what I have found out in being treated is seeing a good Physio means you can find out if you�re standing properly, your legs are aligned properly, and you have all the necessary movement in all your joints. So if you have a crash or a knock, then I think its important to have a check up.�

�I found out my ankle had been locked, not even half the movement my other ankle had after a crash when I went over on it, so it was putting a different type of stress on my knees. All these things add up. So firstly, don�t think it will go away and then try and see a good doctor or physio who knows about cycling injuries.�

I then asked how did she, a high profile athlete who has the hopes of many in Great Britain sitting on her shoulders for next years Olympics, find a doctor who she can trust?

�My first contact was the Great Britain Medical Officer Dr Roger Palfreeman, and then he put me in contact to a doctor fairly close to home, Rod Yates who I had worked with during the summer. As things were dragging on longer than they should have, he put me in touch with the best knee specialist for sports injuries in the UK and that has been really good. Being able to access all these medical facilities the Great Britain team has is fantastic. I think I have had three MI scans which can cost as much as 500 pounds each so being an Elite affiliate has been a very big benefit.�

Finally, I asked whether the pro teams in Europe are able to help in the same way? �I think they have probably got the facilities but I don�t they have any type of health insurance for their athletes so if there are problems they will try and fix them, and pay for operations but they are never that keen and it�s better to sort it out with someone you know.�

The moment then came when she was asked to address the groups of young riders looking to follow her path to the top of their sport. To learn more about Nicole, see her great website and don�t forget to catch our in-depth interview we had with her last month. Thanks Nicole and a Merry Christmas to her and family, mum Denise, dad Tony and brother Craig.

Nicole answers questions from riders at a Talent Team get together in Newport, Wales.