Nicole Cooke announces retirement

C3PO

Apologies if this has been posted earlier today but it's an interesting statement.

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/13700/Nicole-Cooke-announces-retirement-from-professional-cycling.aspx

Diarmuid

Read the full statement on her website. She's a class act. Tells it as it is.

hinault

I always liked Cooke.

When Britain had little or nothing to cheer about in terms of road cycling success, Cooke was winning all around her.

I wish her well in her retirement.

Harrybelafonte

Her name's Nicole, not Nicola?

RobFowl

A superb talent who was not treated with the respect she deserved by too many involved in cycling.
A great career which is over far too soon.
I wish her well in whatever she does next.

couerdelion

Very honest article from her. Comes across as being very classy.

TheDocMan

Wow, class act. Worth a read especially b4 Lance starts crying!

C3PO

Harrybelafonte wrote: »

Her name's Nicole, not Nicola?

You're right of course! Fixed that!

ednwireland

shame she never seemed to be able to get on with teams/teammates, guess thats what you get for been so driven from an early age
10 british national road race titles (first in 1999)

knee injury in 2007 shortened her career i think

Wibbs

I like this part;

“I am so very fortunate to have been able to have won clean,” she said. “I have been robbed by drug cheats, but I am fortunate, I am here before you with more in my basket that the 12 year old dreamed of.

“But for many genuine people out there who do ride clean, people with morals, many of these people have had to leave the sport with nothing after a lifetime of hard work.

“When Lance cries on Oprah later this week and she passes him a tissue, spare a thought for all of those genuine people who walked away with no reward.

“Tyler Hamilton will make more money from a book describing how he cheated than I will make in all my years of honest labour.”

Read more: http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/13700/Nicole-Cooke-announces-retirement-from-professional-cycling.aspx#ixzz2I2CgUsFK

Clearly she was one of those outstanding talents from day one. Even more so when we consider she would have had to contend with others in the peloton taking "medicines" as she puts it. Class act indeed.

MB Lacey

Diarmuid wrote: »

Read the full statement on her website. She's a class act. Tells it as it is.

Seems like her website is down at the mo, I've tried several links to http://www.nicolecooke.com/ 'bandwidth limit exceeded'.

edit - mind you reading the article in velonation it does seem to reprint the statement in full. Great article.

Diarmuid

The Guardian has it in full