Newsgroup: it.sport.ciclismo
Titolo: Nicole Cooke: In the Running for BBC Sports Personality Award

http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/web/site/BC/roa/News2006/20061205_Nicole_Cooke.asp
BBC 1 TV 7pm Sunday, December 10
It is the award every sportsman looks to win, probably the most 
prestigious in this country, and this year, Welsh super cyclist Nicole 
Cooke is one of the front runners giving fans of the sport everywhere 
the opportunity to not only recognise her great achievements but also 
give the sport of cycling a much needed public boost.
In the BBC story on their website, they say "The one person who by 
rights should walk the ballot, however, is almost certain not to figure."
You, that is all fans of the sport of cycling, can show them Nicole does 
have a huge following by voting for Nicole and getting everyone you know 
to do so because after a World Championship medal in the UCI Road Race 
championship for three years out four, shows just what an amazing 
athlete she is. The winner will be decided by a public vote during the 
BBC 1 show on Sunday night and you can help her to add the Award to the 
achievement of being the countries first UCI ranked World Number 1 on 
the road.
The shortlist was drawn up from a combination of online and postal 
public votes, newspaper and magazine editors and a BBC Sport panel of 
experts. In a related story, in her home country of Wales, Nicole was 
runner up in the 2006 BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year poll when 
the Welsh public voted World Champion boxer Joe Calzaghe this year's 
winner. Nicole previously topped the poll in 2003.
-- 
http://modesta.biciticino.ch
Il sito dedicato alla giovane ciclista lituana Modesta Vzesniauskaite

http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/web/site/BC/roa/News2006/20061205_Nicole_Cooke.asp
"This year, we've had dozens of calls in the British Cycling offices 
from the media keen to find out more about the Welsh wonder-girl who has 
finally broken through and become a household name. It seems that what 
we've know for six or seven years has finally penetrated the mainstream 
media, namely that Nicole is a once in a lifetime athlete who transcends 
her sport.
Whether she goes on to win on Sunday, her profile has taken a quantum 
lead forward during the last 12 months during which time she had won 
medals at the Commonwealth Games and World Championships and won an 
amazing seventh straight national Road title.
However, it was her determined and by no means trouble-free World Cup 
campaign which really put her on the map. Crashes and set-backs seemed 
to come almost as often as the wins, but her unique competitiveness 
meant that she was always getting 100% out of herself.
I've been lucky enough to watch Nicole race on a few occasions, but one 
memory always sticks in my mind as defining Nicole's character and what 
makes her special. The 2002 Commonwealth Games road race took place in 
the rolling hills above Bolton and Nicole was by all accounts not in 
great form going into it. She battled on regardless and in the closing 
stages was in the leading group.
However, just a mile or so from the finish she overshot on a corner, 
almost crashed and came to a complete stop. Her rivals in the leading 
group carried on, sure in their own minds that Nicole was out of the 
race. But as they became embroiled in a tactical run in to the line, 
Nicole was back up to speed and chasing like a woman posessed. Had she 
hesitated for a second she would never have got back into the race, but 
she didn't. And as her rivals watched each other she sythed through them 
to claim the win.
It was one of those moments which can still make the hairs on the back 
of your neck stand up years later and I'll certainly never forget that 
day. That sheer will-to-win is surely the key to Nicole's success. Whist 
she can be matched physically or tactically by other athletes, I'm 
convinced that she has a deeper desire to win than any other female 
athlete around today. She's got my vote - has she got yours?"
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