Categories: GeneralVelominati Super Prestige

Velominati Super Prestige: Women’s Olympic Road Race 2012

Cooke takes a Rule #9 Gold (despite violating the Goldilocks Principle)

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.

frank

The founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking. As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it. Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen. Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.

Next V-nnouncements: Summer V-Kit Order and The Apostle Worlds »

Previous « Velominati Super Prestige: Men's Olympic Road Race 2012

View Comments

marko says:

Jul 26 2012 at 5:14 pm

America! Fuck yeah.

VSP PICKS:

1. Armstrong
2. Vos
3. Brozini
4. Arndt
5. Teutenberg
Mikael Liddy says:

Jul 26 2012 at 5:17 pm

VSP PICKS:

1. Marianne Vos
2. Evelyn Stevens
3. Cloe Hosking
4. Judith Arndt
5. Clara Hughes
eightzero says:

Jul 26 2012 at 5:26 pm

@frank

@eightzero

@frank

@eightzero

Years ago when Bill Johnson won the first US Olympic skiing medal, some TV dude pushed a mic in his face and asked him "what does an Olympic medal mean to you?" He smiled and answered rather truthfull, "Millions."

Oh, good. We get to argue about something else now. That wanker wasn't the first American to win an Olympic medal, you git. Bill Koch, my childhood hero, won Silver in the 30k at the 1976 Games.

Get a fucking education.

Koch, Johnson...like 'mercans follow sports we don't own. I got the bill Part right.

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?

I understand someone actually named their daughter "Shithead." It is an ethnic name pronounced shuh-THAYD, but still...
scaler911 says:

Jul 26 2012 at 5:38 pm

@frank

@eightzero

Years ago when Bill Johnson won the first US Olympic skiing medal, some TV dude pushed a mic in his face and asked him "what does an Olympic medal mean to you?" He smiled and answered rather truthfull, "Millions."

Oh, good. We get to argue about something else now. That wanker wasn't the first American to win an Olympic medal, you git. Bill Koch, my childhood hero, won Silver in the 30k at the 1976 Games.

Get a fucking education.

Bill is my VMH's uncle, and has a humungous ego, until he decided he could come back and race with the kids, and tragically,(because I would never wish ill will on most folk) ended up a mostly broke and head injured.

Because hey, Google Grewal and see what happened to him, right?
dancollins says:

Jul 26 2012 at 5:39 pm

VSP PICKS:

1. Vos
2. Stevens
3. Arndt
4. Emma Johansson
5. Van Vleuten
Harminator says:

Jul 26 2012 at 5:55 pm

For what its worth, I reckon that pic of Bronzini is fuckin awesome.

Lean, superfit, healthy, happy athlete rockin the rainbows. What's scary or frightening? Maybe if you're racing her...

I thought this site was trying to move away from outdated preconception.

VSP PICKS:

1. Vos
2. Hosking
3. Polspoel
4. Stevens
5. Bronzini
frank says:

Jul 26 2012 at 6:16 pm

@Buck Rogers

Congrats on going Orange Cog, mate.
Giles says:

Jul 26 2012 at 7:03 pm

No idea but I'm thinking home advantage has to come in somewhere....

VSP PICKS:

1. Pooley
2. Cooke
3. Arndt
4. Bronzini
5. Vos
Skinnyphat says:

Jul 26 2012 at 7:16 pm

VSP PICKS:

1. Vos
2. Stevens
3. Cook
4. Arndt
5. Pooley
Frank says:

Jul 26 2012 at 7:17 pm

VSP PICKS:

1. Olds
2. Bronzini
3. Armostrong
4. Pooley
5. Hausler