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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Clara Hughes to add a road bronze to her track and speedskating medal collection.
VSP PICKS:
1. Bronzini
2. Vos
3. Hughes
4. Armstrong*
5. Old
VSP PICKS:
1. Pooley
2. Bronzini
3. Arndt
4. Cooke
5. Vos
VSP PICKS:
1. Vos
2. Cooke
3. Armistead
4. Pooley
5. Bronzini
@RedRanger
The Red Badge of Verbiage.
VSP PICKS:
1. Vos
2. Bronzini
3. Armstrong
4. Stevens
5. Olds
Bit of a crapshoot with my limited knowledge but i do know that Vos is a beast and that Cooke will almost inevitably be up there as a lone wolf. Armistead led out by Laws for 3rd and stevens continuing a good year. Bronzini thrown in cos i reckon i shgould...
VSP PICKS:
1. Vos
2. Cooke
3. Armistead
4. Stevens
5. Bronzini
Lizzie to make it 2 out of 2 on the road races - home advantage!
VSP PICKS:
1. Armitstead
2. Vos
3. Stevens
4. Cooke
5. Arndt
@ten B
I love your thinking on this. But having watched the one-on-one sprint at the Canadian championships, where Denise Ramsden pipped her (it was woeful"”even Ramsden admitted to that), I suspect Hughes's real shot at a medal is in the TT, and I'd certainly bet on her there.
VSP PICKS:
1. N. Cooke
2. G. Bronzini
3. M. Vos
4. J. Arndt
5. C. Hughes
VSP PICKS:
1. Vos
2. Armstrong
3. Arndt
4. Cooke
5. Pooley