Nicole Cooke's New Team

[Flying_Monkey]

So, Halford-Bikehut have pulled their sponsorship of Nicole Cooke's team in favour of their male squad, even though she has been far more successful than the men, and has practically been the face of Boardman bikes for the last year.

But rather than go for a lucrative foreign contract, she's decided to build a British women's team around her. I am sure there's some very good reason why the Sky / British Cycling contract won't even part sponsor this... and there's the recession... for whatever reasons there no sponsors yet. But I think it is a brave decision, and good luck to her.

What does everyone else think?

 

[yello]

What do I think?

www.cyclechat.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=24258

I reckon Nicole gets a bit of a raw deal in the UK. I think we can take if for granted that Nicole could have signed for a foreign team and been personally financially secure. She's opted not to and prefers to work here and develop UK talent. That's quite incredible, imo.

 

[Skip Madness]

Is this team going to be running under the same license as the old Swift Racing team, or is Stefan Wyman the only common link?

 

[matt!!!]

I think that Cycling is lucky to have Bikehut as a sponsor at all still. As with all companies, Halfords will be tightening the purse strings. The first things to go will be the extras that are not seen to be directly bringing in cash. Halfords has already announced 250 redundancies. Also, from what i have seen recently the mens team is going to be getting more and more successful year on year starting now. It may also have been noted that Boardman doesnt make a ladies frame..........

 

[Skip Madness]

When you look at the (lack of) coverage it gets, I am often surprised that
women's cycling gets any sponsors at all for certain races and teams.

 

[Keith Oates]

It's sad that we have one of, if not the, best female roadie in the world and we can't raise enough sponsorship to support her with a decent team. I would like to see her join one of the already established ladies team and show the world just how good she is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[girofan]

When you look at the (lack of) coverage it gets, I am often surprised that
women's cycling gets any sponsors at all for certain races and teams.

Britain will always be a desert for cycle sport. The motoring lobby has seen to that with fewer and fewer events taking place on the highway.
"I like to watch cycling on the road as long as it doesn't impact on me driving as fast as possibe," seems to be the attitude. So any sponsorship in GB will not be forthcoming especially for "WOMEN'S" teams!!
Sponsors would rather a female rallycross duo + car.
Nicole, cut your losses and go where you are truly appreciated, Italy!!

 

[peanut]

It's sad that we have one of, if not the, best female roadie in the world and we can't raise enough sponsorship to support her with a decent team. I would like to see her join one of the already established ladies team and show the world just how good she is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Its disgraceful frankly. You don't have to look too far to see the reason why . CW again this week look at page 21 2008 review . quote 2008 will be remembered largely for the emphatic highs enjoyed by British cycling fans '
then look at the picture . One single female cyclist Vicky pendelton. Cooke and Romero nowhere to be seen .
BUT there is room for a picture of that bloody Yank again ??
Why ? what the hell has LA got to do with 2008 British Cycling ?!

Next page 23 mention of Cooke's Worlds win following her Olympic win and again no picture ? following page 24 and there is half a page spread to LA's comeback! wtf?
god it makes me so bloody mad I'm sorry but its all I can do not to swear.

Theres some very good articles in the CW this week and last but when the hell are we going to see the support and coverage our road race girls deserve.
I've a good mind to start a womens cycling magazine. I reckon there would be at least as much demand as there is for a lot of other male orientated rags on the shelf

 

[mondobongo]

Nicole could give Oleg Tinkov a ring as he will not be involved with Team Katusha. Has pots of Cash and is cycling mad.

 

[Skip Madness]

The Oleg Tinkoff idea is actually very interesting - I wonder how interested he would be.

everything

Also in this week's Cycling Weekly Lionel Birnie tries to make the case that somehow Mark Cavendish's achievements this year are more impressive than Nicole Cooke's.

I wrote an e-mail yesterday to the Tour of Flanders organisers enquiring about live coverage of the women's race next season, which has not been replied to yet. Would anyone be interested in starting a campaign to make the demand for more women's cycling on the television known to broadcasters? Anyone got any ideas on what would be the best method to achieve this?

 

[peanut]

The Oleg Tinkoff idea is actually very interesting - I wonder how interested he would be.

Also in this week's Cycling Weekly Lionel Birnie tries to make the case that somehow Mark Cavendish's achievements this year are more impressive than Nicole Cooke's.

I wrote an e-mail yesterday to the Tour of Flanders organisers enquiring about live coverage of the women's race next season, which has not been replied to yet. Would anyone be interested in starting a campaign to make the demand for more women's cycling on the television known to broadcasters? Anyone got any ideas on what would be the best method to achieve this?

count me in

maybe my idea about a female cycling magazine is not such a bad idea afterall. If Nicole published it , it would be a real success and bring in some welcome revenue to sponsor her team.
It would be a brilliant showcase for women's cycle racing events across the board road, track, BMX ,cross, TT etc and Le T Feminin, Olympic preparation,
As well as general cycling , commuting , fitness, triathlon, women specific bikes, clothing and gear etc etc .

Wonder how one could contact Nicole to suggest it

 

[mr-marty-martin]

cmon guys, sualy you mean a campaign to get cycling itself on mainstream t.v., and not just the big ones like the tour de france etc, how about the elite crits etc etc....

 

[Skip Madness]

cmon guys, sualy you mean a campaign to get cycling itself on mainstream t.v., and not just the big ones like the tour de france etc, how about the elite crits etc etc....

If you want that then do that. I am less interested in getting Elite Crits or any other cycling on mainstream (terrestrial, presumably) television than I am in getting the women's World Cup and stage races on television (say, Eurosport or ITV4 or Sky) at all.

The starting point for live coverage has to be the Tour of Flanders and Flèche Wallonne, as the women's races go a couple of hours before the men's - just stick a live feed on a bit earlier. We talked about this in the Olympics versus Worlds thread, too, but as the Giro Donne coincides with the men's Tour de France, although I don't think many of us instantly expect live coverage day-by-day, a nightly half-hour of highlights tacked on to the tail of the Tour highlights would be a good start which could suck in a lot of newcomers following the Tour.

A female cycling magazine is a nice idea - especially for getting more females interested in the sport - but surely it is better to demand more in-depth coverage from the already-existing cycling magazines? That would make the women more mainstream, I think. Wouldn't it be great if the women's Giro was given a huge preview in the same issue as the men's Tour?

 

[Domestique]

I remember Sean Kelly on Eurosport going on about how womens racing isnt as much of a team effort as mens cycling. If I was listening and remember correctly he said an individual woman could win a womans race, but a man without a strong team couldnt or would need to be exceptional in order to do so.
Having watched Nicole and the other women riding up that hill in Gerrardsbergen during this years Flanders race all I can say is they are tough

 

[Will1985]

You might as well call it Team British Cycling... Surely getting riders mixing it with the big guns on the continent is the best way to develop talent? Neither H-B nor BC seemed to have much of a presence this season on the women's tour...granted, Nicole had based her season around one goal but that isn't much of a reason to hold back the other talents.