Newsgroup: it.sport.ciclismo
Titolo: Is Nicole Cooke currently the best cyclist in the world?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/mbfivelive/F2148575?thread=3306971&skip=0&show=20
Ignoring her gender. If you measure greatness in ability to win your 
event and dominate your event.
Her domination of the GT's - Giro and TDF wins. Her domination in 
classics. Her superb climbing and Time Trialling. I am not sure what her 
sprinting is like since we rarely see her on TV.
You can only beat what is in front of you - and Judith Arndt and Oenone 
Wood are certainly no slouches. Unlike the men, Cooke is racing against 
the top riders in her field week in and week out. No hiding away and 
coming out for 3 weeks in July.
Cooke has come back from both a serious knee injury and problems with 
her team to dominate women's cycling.
And all this by the age of 23.
Finally she is getting some press coverage which can only be a good 
thing. Hopefully the questions that the media ask of her will be 
slightly more intelligent than 'how do you go to the toilet whilst riding'.
etc....
-- 
http://modesta.biciticino.ch
Il sito dedicato alla giovane ciclista lituana Modesta Vzesniauskaite

 slightly more intelligent than 'how do you go to the toilet whilst
riding'.
Well of course, she should be getting press in England, but their UK
newsgroup for cycling is pathetic. Nothing going on there much about Cooke.
That newsgroup is pretty bland. The Ausse cycling group is a little better.
She's not getting any support in the America group either, but then again,
that group is mostly a hangout for the boorish types who are obsessed with
doping threads. I am not sure CN is giving her as much press as they should,
but according to Jeff when I talked with him a while back, about 98 percent
of their time and resources are devoted to the men, so you can imagine? I
used to get cycling weekly in the mail, but perhaps they are writing stories
about Cooke. I often wondered how much Press Luperini got in the Italian
cycling magazines in the 90's, but the way I understand it, Pantani
overshadowed the little Pantianina, and also Faby was so modest and shy of
the press, I guess that hurt her image to a point. She didn't have the
vivacious personality of Super Mario who used the press with his antics to
become even more famous! Certainly no one worked the press better then Van
Moorsel. Cooke could take a few lessons from Van Moorsel. While Cooke has
done a good job of marketing herself on her website, she lack the charisma
and charm that Leontion had with her sexy good looks being in Penthouse, and
her use of lipstick and fingernail polish which gained the attention of the
press. When Michael came on board, he was able to help Leontien market her
sexy good looks and her awesome talent to the fullest extent, turning
Leontien not only into a super talent, but she became a super star in
Holland, something like a Hollywood rock star. They even put up a statue of
Leontien in her hometown, and I don't have any doubt that Leontien was
probably the highest paid ever. Also her modeling contracts and ads for TV,
and commercial products have made her a millionaire, I am sure. No other
women has ever done that.
However, no amount of money is worth what Luperini has done. That is worth
all the gold in Fort Knox, and I wouldn't be surprised if a statue of
Luperini is not erected someday in her hometown of Cascine Di Buti!! :-))
B-

 Luperini is not erected someday in her hometown of Cascine Di Buti!! :-))
Correction....
However, no amount of money is worth what Luperini has done. That is worth
all the gold in Fort Knox, and I wouldn't be surprised if a statue of
Luperini is erected someday in her hometown of Cascine Di Buti!! :-))
In fact I will help pour the cement!!  :-))
B-