Nicole Cooke joins new Italian team...

[Skip Madness]

... and a fine team, as well. Information in Italian here.

The Team will be called MCipollini-Giordana, and features eleven riders. They are...

*sharp intake of breath*

... Monia Baccaille, Marta Bastianelli, Yulia Blindyuk, Rossella Callovi, Nicole Cooke, Elisa Frisoni, Samantha Galassi, Rossella Gobbo, Tatiana Guderzo, Jennifer Hohl and Marta Tagliaferro.

So in Bastianelli, Cooke, and Guderzo that's the road race world champions of 2007, 2008 and 2009 respectively. Plus the tried and tested one-day skills of Baccaille, plus in Rossella Callovi one of the most exciting young prospects in the sport, plus well-respected riders like Hohl and Blindyuk backing them up. It's a very young team altogether, but riders like Tagliaferro and Galassi already have good experience.

As a backdrop to all of this, the Diadora-Pasta Zara team (name-change for Safi, now associated with the men's Geox team) has in its roster for the coming season Mara Abbott, Claudia Häusler, Shelley Evans and Rachel Neylan to add to the likes of Alona Andruk, Eleonora Patuzzo and Olga Zabelinskaya (they've lost Rasa Leleivyte in the process). It's my belief that these two teams, along with the hopefully continuing strength of Nederland Bloeit, will augment the challenge to the hegemony of the ever-powerful Garmin-Cervélo and HTC teams (by the way, if you hadn't read it, Lucy Martin has joined Emma Pooley, Lizzie Armitstead and Sharon Laws at Garmin). Next year's season could be much more competitive than this year's. It's just a shame we've lost important races like the Tour de l'Aude, but there's plenty to be optimistic about right now regarding teams at least. And it will hopefully mean a much more comprehensive racing programme for Cooke than the last two years have supplied.

 

[yello]

That reads like good news for Cooke. She's had a lean (and, I'd guess, frustrating) couple of years. I really hope it works out for her and she starts getting the results (again) that her talents deserve.

 

[Keith Oates]

I agree with you there Yello, it will be good if she can get her old form back and get some results!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[oldroadman]

A very talented team. It will be a real task for the DS to work out who gets to be protected rider in which races. Team discussions should be, er, fun, quite a challenge for the management to handle talent, and egos to match. If they can keep the team discipline, it looks like a real battle with the other top teams is in prospect. Interesting times on the womens race scene next season!

 

[andy_wrx]

She's reportedly not had the best relationships with teammates in the past, and reportedly hence why she's had trouble getting signed into a decent team for last few years, so it will indeed be interesting to see how this one works-out.

 

[oldroadman]

She's reportedly not had the best relationships with teammates in the past, and reportedly hence why she's had trouble getting signed into a decent team for last few years, so it will indeed be interesting to see how this one works-out.

That's one way of putting it, allegedly lots of issues. The little strop after the 2010 RR championship was an example, had the position been reversed (NC with a team of 3 working over Pooley, I wonder if there would have been any complaint. Cycling at that level is a team sport, even for individual championships. The World's is a good example.

 

[andy_wrx]

That's one way of putting it

Yeah - you said it would be

er, fun,

 

[Ghost Donkey]

Hopefully there'll be more coverage of the womens races on eurosport this year.

 

[oldroadman]

Well they might, but it will be a simple commercial decision, based on ratings. More ratings=more advertising at higher prices=profit. Eurosport not being a charity, that will be a view that they will take, and bear in mind it's broadcast europe wide, so Nicole being of interest to UK viewers won't carry any consideration.
If they do try it, the numbers will get close scrutiny.

 

[Skip Madness]

Eurosport not being a charity, that will be a view that they will take, and bear in mind it's broadcast europe wide, so Nicole being of interest to UK viewers won't carry any consideration.

British Eurosport and Eurosport International broadcast separately, therefore it's feasible that the interest of UK viewers would be considered.

 

[resal]

Thanks Skip for bringing this to our attention. This last season was dire in terms of competition. HRC and Cervelo had control, with no other team able to challenge. This is good news on a variety of levels. Not too sure about the signing problems. I think 2 + 2 have made 12 there. The point has been made elsewhere that Nuremburg were long established and the next best funded team after HRC. Both Cooke and Armstrong were caught out by its collapse in Feb. The fact that neither the Olympic TT and RR champions and very recent World Champions in the disciplines, were able to find a team (Armstrong rode for the US national team) rather points to the dire financial situation of the women's peloton and the very real problems of having to find extra money for a big rider, when rosters are full, than any "conspiracy" theory. Again, the lack of effective press coverage unsights the fans and is very frustrating.
As to any potential Eurosport coverage - I don't think financial analysis features as a major factor, as neither does merit. I think that would assume a level of sophistication to the management control, that the decision making process would not justify. As we have debated many a time - just look at the sport - its organisation and its reporting is sexist, to an unacceptable degree, from top to bottom. I rather doubt anybody has ever bothered to construct a proper business case either way. But just how much would I like to be proved wrong and see other women's road racing on Eurosport ! Crikey, I could even watch a whole race from begining to end, something I have never done for a men's race, in 7 years of subscription.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

This is a small piece of very good news amongst what looks like a pretty bad situation in women's cycling. I still think that all Pro-Tour teams should be required to have a women's team and that any Pro-Tour level races should have both a men's and women's race...

 

[Skip Madness]

And now another piece of great news - Emma Trott has signed for Nederland Bloeit. Nice to have Brits riding for teams other than Garmin, and riding alongside Vos, van Vleuten, Gunnewijk and Düster makes it an opportunity to learn from the best.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

And now another piece of great news - Emma Trott has signed for Nederland Bloeit. Nice to have Brits riding for teams other than Garmin, and riding alongside Vos, van Vleuten, Gunnewijk and Düster makes it an opportunity to learn from the best.

That's awesome. I think she will do very well... I agree we need to have riders all over the peleton - same for the men. I get a sinking feeling when young British riders sign up for Sky.

 

[Foghat]

That's awesome. I think she will do very well... I agree we need to have riders all over the peleton - same for the men. I get a sinking feeling when young British riders sign up for Sky.

Interesting sentiments, but who's the 'we', FM? Last time I heard (admittedly a while ago) you were vigorously asserting your objection to the concept of nationhood as a community or entity you felt any inclination to relate or belong to. Where will all this new-found jingoism end - a fleet of Tim Brooke-Taylor waistcoats and a flag to wave for 29 April?