British Cycling
Women's National Road Race Championships
24th of June, 2006; East Riding of Yorkshire
Part of the Yorkshire Festival of Cycling
Event Website: >>>Go There
Former winners: Road Race (Women)
Photo Galleries: Click the buttons (eg, Gallery 1) at the top of the page.
Gallery 1: Pre race, etc (Larry Hickmott)
Gallery 2: First part of the race (Larry Hickmott)
Gallery 3: Second part of the race (Larry Hickmott)Gallery 4: Some great photos from Gillian Grainger
Gallery 5: More great pictures from Andrew KennedyGallery 6: Big selection of excellent images from Richard Robotham
Nicole Cooke wins her 7th British Road Race championship.
Nicole Cooke (Univega) was the winner of the 2006 British Cycling Women's Road Race Championship around the lanes of East Riding today. She finished ahead of Lorna Webb and Jo Rowsell to win the right to wear the champions jersey for the next 12 months.
After a short ride from the HQ to the start finish area, the riders were sent away for their 2006 Women's Road Race Championship. They all seemed quite relaxed in the neutralised zone, and even when the flag had been dropped, the bunch didn't seem to be in a hurry to commence hostilities.
With the roads being so narrow, I got my pilot John to stay in front of the riders and when we dropped back to see what was happening, each time it was the same picture of a relaxed bunch all very compact. And although there were attacks, they were however short lived and it wasn't until Emma Pooley got away that we thought that maybe her move would kick off a reaction and see a break form.
It didn't though as the pace of the bunch to bring Emma back, saw more action at the back of the bunch than at the front. Catherine Hare then had a dig but that was nullified by none other than Nicole Cooke and we also saw various riders like Rachel Heal and Jo Rowsell on the front stringing the group out.
Into the final two laps and Nicole Cooke was now making her presence felt even more and tried an attack through Dalton but after a lengthy chase by the bunch, which saw them catch Nicole, the pace of the chase saw more riders being shelled out the back.
Then on the final lap, Nicole did what she had to do, putting in a big effort up a minor drag and from the motorbike, you could hear her taking in huge gulps of air as she continued to push on and open the gap between her and the chasers. Soon the gap was big enough for a neutral service car to slot in behind but the chasers never gave up and at the finish, they had halved the gap that Nicole had opened on the roads coming into Beverley. It was however, Nicole's day in Beverley.
Reactions:
"It's great" was how Nicole described her 7th title win. "Every time I ride I put my reputation on the line so its good to come up with a ride."
"The course was probably one of the flattest over the years and short as well, which meant that when we got to the closing stages of the race there were more people in contention. I did what I could to get away and I wasn't sure how it would play out. I had to have a few different strategies and if it had finished in a sprint, then I was thinking about that one as well."
Asked did she consider just sitting in on this course and leave it to the sprint knowing she is one of the worlds fastest women on the road, she replied "Its always better to win solo because at least you can celebrate properly but it is an option you have to be prepared for with road racing".
After Nicole had attacked, we drew alongside her a few times, and the Welsh girl was certainly giving it everything. Asked how she found the run in from the circuit, Nicole explained " I had ridden yesterday so I knew what was coming and having ridden, I knew where the wind was coming from and I could save a bit so I had done my homework.
And riding a Raleigh bike too must have been special. "From the start of the season the atmosphere in the team has been great and they have helped me a lot. It wasn't a great start when I broke my collarbone the day I signed for them but they were very supportive and I think the team is sure to have more highlights to come this year."
In second was Lorna Webb. The sprint was so tight, she wasn't sure when we spoke where she had finished but the photos I had were pretty conclusive she had a medal. Asked how she felt about that after a short period away with the Sprint team on the track, Lorna explained that early on she was trying to stay well position in the early stages of the race and about two thirds distance, I started fade and when the big attack came, I managed to make sure I was in the group.
"I was really struggling though and felt like I was nailed to the ground." Lorna however then said it was more like good luck than anything at the finish where she won the group sprint for second.
Describing the moment attacked on the final lap, Lorna says !I tried to go with her but couldn't, and Rachel also tried to follow the attack but once Nicole had a gap she was gone. With it being such a big group, nobody wanted to commit to the chase because you do start to think about second place."
"I think my form on the road is coming back but I am struggling with the endurance and the top end aerobic work which I didn't do any of last year at all. It was a bit of a difficult transition back to endurance training." Lorna has also found herself a place in an amateur team in Belgium. "There is really good atmosphere in the team, well organised and I'm enjoying race out there. It's fantastic out there."
The bronze medal went to Jo Rowsell, a junior rider from London who has had some great results this year. "I lead the sprint out because I know I am faster over a longer distance and I'd have more of a chance. I was hoping for a top 10 so to get third was really good."
One of the most inspiring things to see in the race was to find Jo forcing the pace and working at the front with the likes of Nicole Cooke. Asked how it felt as a 17 year old to be working away like with such a great champion, Jo replied "I was just so happy to be there so it was really pleasing. I felt strong in the race and on the climbs."
"The first lap was very aggressive with lots of attacks up the climbs and then in the middle section it kind of slowed down a bit and then the main attack was when the group got away. It was a pretty decent pace for most of the race."
Links:
Nicole Cooke's Race Report: >>>>>
Rachel Heal's Race Report: >>>>>
The sprint for the silver is a tight contest as the picture shows.
Podium for the Senior womens Championship, Lorna Webb, Nicole Cooke and junior rider, Jo Rowsell.
Under 23 Podium, Amy Hunt (2nd), Jo Rowsell (1st) and Louise Mahe (3rd).
The start in Beverley.
In the Neutralised section, there are plenty of smiles.
A familiar shot during most of the race as the course failed to split the group, or encourage the formation of breaks which was surprising.
One of the few riders who managed to get a gap and stay away for any length of time was Emma Pooley.
On the rare occasion I ventured to the back of the race, you could see that although breaks were not going off the front of the race, the pace was enough to cause groups of riders to lose contact with the leading bunch.
Rachel Heal, a four time Silver medallist, gets on the front and tries to do some damage on a drag.
Catherine Hare had a good go at getting away but Nicole Cooke is not about to give her any room.
Nicole Cooke attacks ...
... and tries to force open a gap but fails to make it stick..
The leaders with a few laps of the circuit to go. A much reduced bunch from the 60 or so starters.
If at first you don't succeed, try again and Nicole Cooke steps on the gas again and the rest seemed resigned to her winning her 7th title.
Riding her Raleigh sponsors product, Nicole puts her head down and gives her it all to put time between her and the chasers behind.
Results (Provisional)
1. Nicole Cooke, Univega/Raleigh
2. Lorna Webb, KSV Deerlijk @25 seconds
3. Joanna Rowsell, VC Londres
4. Amy Hunt, SIS
5. Tanja Slater, SIS
6. Catherine Hare, Team Fat Birds UK
7. Caroline Kluiber, Rapha Condor
8. Helen Wyman, Team Fat Birds UK
9. Wendy Houvenaghel, SIS @27 seconds
10. Rachel Heal, Victory Brewing
11. Leda Cox, Unattached.
12. Louise Mahe, Sutton CC @5.46
13. Melanie Williams, Rahpa Condor
14. Katie Curtis, Cardiff Ajax
15. Angela Hunter, GS Stada
16. Sara Burling, CC Giro
17. Carrie Bedingfield, Luian-Kuota
18. Lisa Hollingshead, Raleigh EVR
19. Gabriella Coates, Evans Cycles
20. Lizzy Goodband, Team FBUK
21. Gabby Day, Team FBUK
22. Lindsay Clarke, Fenland Clarion
23. Sophie Johnson, Raleigh EVR
24. Charlotte Colcough, Team QCP
25. Lizzy Armitstead, Raleigh EVR
26. Alice Monger-Godfrey, VC Londres
27. Lara Wann, VC Londres
28. Jeanette Tebutt, Lucian-Kuota
29. Fem Van Schelven, Team FBUK
30. Antonia Burt, Twickenham CC
31. Emma Silversides, Team Fat Birds UK
32. Tracey Fletchor, Team Fat Birds UK
33. Angela Pike, Wolverhampton Wheelers
34. Cayley Ennett, Team QCP
35. Bernadette Hards, Akisko Viner
36. Hannah Bussey, VC Meudon
37. Patricia Salbany, PM
38. Emma Pooley, Team Fat Birds UK
39. Jo Tindley, VC Londres