What a difference four years can make. In Beijing, Nicole Cooke was the dominant rider in Women’s Cycling, taking wins in every important race on the Women’s calendar for several years running. Fast finish, good in the hills, good against the clock, she helped give context to what we mean by the term “all rounder”.
Four years on, she’s been struggling with injury and the pressures of forming her own team which has resulted in the inevitable reduction in results. But don’t count her out just yet; she has been showing some form already this year and during the last Olympic year, she burst into form for the event to take Gold. Add to that the motivation a British rider is sure to feel racing at her home Games, and you’d be a fool to leave her off your list of considerations.
Be that as it may, she’s facing up to a strong field. Kristen Armstrong dropped out of the Cascade Classic (while leading it) in order to prepare for the games. Not to mention Marianne Vos, who dominated the Giro last month – or Giorgia Bronzini, whose website I find vaguely frightening.
Review the route and study the weird, paged roster if you like pretending that helps you, and get your picks in by 5am Pacific on Sunday. (If you find Time Zone Mathematics too complicated, just get your picks in by the time the giant countdown timer in the banner goes to zero), regular One-Day VSP rules apply. Good luck.
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@frank
And the day that skate skiing was introduced to the international community, no? And even with skating the whole thing, some dude doing trad still beat him. Man, those Euros know how to nordic ski!
@Buck Rogers
Right, I asked him about that, and he said he had seen some dudes doing it somewhere and figured he'd give it a shot. I think he might have won Gold in a World Cup event as well - I'd have to check.
Have you seen footage of that? Skating over a set of double tracks, its a wonder it was any faster than classical!
VSP PICKS:
1. Stevens, Evelyn
2. Armstrong, Kristin
3. Teutenberg, Ina
4. Vos, Marianne
5. Armitstead, Elizabeth
@frank no, never seen the footage. He's from my area in the States, Vermont. Seen him skiing a few times but I have never spoken to him. Bet everyone behind him was ticked off that he was messing up the tracks with his skating on them!
Don't really have that much of an idea on this, so going with sentiment and picking a Canuck.
VSP PICKS:
1. hughes, clara
2. arndt, judith
3. cooke, nicole
4. vos, marianne
5. neben, amber
VSP PICKS:
1. Shelley Olds
2. Kristin Armstrong
3. Marianne Vos
4. Clara Hughes
5. Judith Arndt
@frank
Koch, Johnson...like 'mercans follow sports we don't own. I got the bill Part right.
@eightzero
The guy who ran the outdoor store where the VMH and I met (while working there) had the last name of "Johnson". His first name was "Rod". Do you think his dad hated him?
VSP PICKS:
1. Teutenberg
2. Bronzini
3. Vos
4. Olds
5. Armistead
VSP PICKS:
1. Bronzini
2. Vos
3. Olds
4. Arndt
5. Cooke