Newsgroup: it.sport.ciclismo
Titolo: Nicole Cooke at Fleche Wallonne

This is the same act every year!
 Getting a little tiresome. Not winning of course, she won fair and square,
but I mean she did this twice in San Francisco and at least the last two
years at Fleche, can't remember if she started her collapsing act the first
year she won Fleche, but the last two years after she finished and won, she
does this collapsing act. She also repeated that act twice in SF. Luperini
won Fleche three times, and we don't have to get into about its harder now
then it was a few years ago, but my point is, Luperini won easily and never
had to collapse each time she soloed along to victory on the 20 percent Mur
de Huy. In fact Luperini often looked fresh after many mountain top
finishes, and she won Vaujany six times, but my point is does Cooke have to
collapse every time she wins Fleche? I mean I suppose if SFGP was run last
year we would of had a three peat of Cooke's collapsing act to match her
three peat at Fleche. I don't know if I can take anymore of these theatrics!
Must she collaspe? Luperini never ever had to do this act. The most I have
seen is Luperini bent over her bike, catching her breath, but falling to
ground every time she wins, is a bit too much!!
http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2006/apr06/flechewallonne_w06/index.php?id=IMG_0124
B-

 does this collapsing act.
This is what she said:
"You need strong legs and plenty of will power to win this race, but I 
also benefitted from a strong team and plenty of support from the crowd 
over those final lung burning metres up the Mur."
"We have a very strong team at Univega-Raleigh-Lifeforce with plenty of 
options for all races. Today's plan was to get me in a position to 
challenge up the final climb, and they worked hard to do just that."
"The final climb is only 1km long, but it's so steep it takes longer 
than you think. When Theresa Senff made the early pace on the climb and 
when Oenone Wood attacked through the hairpains I just rode at the pace 
I knew was right for me. I did think if either of them was strong enough 
to keep that up then they would deserve the victory."
"Maybe my past experiences on this climb paid off, but I had to switch 
off the pain receptors to keep the effort going for the final few 
hundred metres!"
***
Well, how can you be fresh after such a brutal climb like the mur d'Huy?
She wasn't the only one...look at these photos:
http://www.ottie.nl/foto/2006/20060419waalsepijl/vrouwen/pages/IMG_3607.htm
http://www.ottie.nl/foto/2006/20060419waalsepijl/vrouwen/pages/IMG_3610.htm
http://www.ottie.nl/foto/2006/20060419waalsepijl/vrouwen/pages/IMG_3630.htm
http://www.ottie.nl/foto/2006/20060419waalsepijl/vrouwen/pages/IMG_3634.htm
http://www.ottie.nl/foto/2006/20060419waalsepijl/vrouwen/pages/IMG_3635.htm
http://www.ottie.nl/foto/2006/20060419waalsepijl/vrouwen/pages/IMG_3636.htm
http://www.ottie.nl/foto/2006/20060419waalsepijl/vrouwen/pages/IMG_3639.htm
http://www.ottie.nl/foto/2006/20060419waalsepijl/vrouwen/pages/IMG_3643.htm
http://www.ottie.nl/foto/2006/20060419waalsepijl/vrouwen/pages/IMG_3646.htm
http://www.ottie.nl/foto/2006/20060419waalsepijl/vrouwen/pages/IMG_3649.htm
http://www.ottie.nl/foto/2006/20060419waalsepijl/vrouwen/pages/IMG_3653.htm
http://www.ottie.nl/foto/2006/20060419waalsepijl/vrouwen/pages/IMG_3660.htm
http://www.ottie.nl/foto/2006/20060419waalsepijl/vrouwen/pages/IMG_3664.htm
If only Modesta had this incredible lust for victory like Nicole...
-- 
http://modesta.biciticino.ch
Il sito dedicato alla giovane ciclista lituana Modesta Vzesniauskaite

 Il sito dedicato alla giovane ciclista lituana Modesta Vzesniauskaite
Respectfully, let me respond to this, but before doing that, I will sweeten
it up a bit with photos of Modesta from SFGP...
http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2004/sep04/sanfrangp04/?id=women/img_7252SF
http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2004/sep04/sanfrangp04/?id=women/img_7182SF
Now here's the deal. Is it theater, or is it real? No doubt she was
exhausted like the other riders, but Cooke is the only one collapsing at
these two race. In the last 2 year of SFGP she won, she was the only one
collapsing, and Tina Pic was right behind I believe in one. I have seen
photos of Bessette and Dede on the really steep finishing climbs on SFGP and
their lungs were bursting as well in some very excellant photos I saw, but
they didn't have to collapse either. Now collasping at Fleche seems to be
repeat performance of collapsing at SFGP. I see a lot of the other girls are
winded too, but in control of it.
But here is my point? When Luperini won solo at Fleche three times, and I
have the videos of this, she was winded, and breathing hard but she didn't
by any stretch of the imagination have to collapse. In fact when Luperini
was in her prime, sprinting and winning the steep mountain top finishes of
the Grand Boucle, she was actually looking quite fresh on her bike just
after the finish as where the other girls were slumped over on their bikes.
Fabiana's apparent lack of fatigue when she won Assisi stage in the 1998
women's Giro d'Italia is quite remarkable as she looks fresh while the girls
behind are dead. But my point is now in 2006, Luperini has to kill herself
to win being passed her prime as evident in Vaujany which she won six times,
she sprinted and won, and was winded and slumped over her bike somewhat in
oxygen debt., but no where near this drama? Now here is the deal? If Cooke
is in her prime, why can't she win easily refreshed, like Luperini used to
win in her prime? Well two things. The field is a little deeper and better
then a few years ago, but my point is Luperini was a great climber and won
easily, while Cooke has to kill herself to win and collapse every time. To
me, that is (not) the mark of a great champion or climber.
However she won fair and square, collasping or not. :-)
Bruce

 If only Modesta had this incredible lust for victory like Nicole...
I see only one girl bent over by the sidelines, but the others are winded,
true. I don't know for sure, only Cooke knows if she has added theater to
this. But I guess that's not such a bad thing. I will tell you who the
rubber man was, it was Bruno Cenghialta, Ariostea. :-)
Bruce

 GoneBeforeMyTime wrote:
BTW,
http://www.world-cup-cycling.org

 Well, how can you be fresh after such a brutal climb like the mur d'Huy?
Consider this...
The Tour of 1948 where many historians say based  on his record times on the
cols, Cannes to Briançon, 274 kilometres via the  Allos, Vars and Izoard, is
where many think this is the greatest effort in history,  done by Gino
Bartali. The following day saw more of the same, a softening up  process on
the Col du Galibier and the Col de la Croix de Fer before a final attack on
the Col de Porte saw him finish in Aix-les-Bains. Col De Porte is another
climb that Bartali is said to produce the incredible ride of his life,  and
is also considered the yardstick of being the greatest climber of all times.
That year saw a record number of climbs of the circle of the dead men.
Aubisque, Tourmalet, the Aspin, Peyresourde, Allos, Vars, Izoard, Galibier,
Telegraphe, Croix  de Fer, Porte, Cucheron and the Granier.
Gino Bartali came from being 21 minutes behind to win in the mountain stages
on the final GC with a comfortable 26 minute victory margin in what is
considered a tremendous testament to a man with incredible stamina and
endurance, being beyond the peak of his career. In his 30's when most riders
careers are over Bartali raced through mud, cold, (minus 10 degrees) ice,
snow, wind and really badly washed out roads in what is considered the worst
weather ever in the history of the Tour.
Bartali was great athlete. Gino Bartali was only training three times  a
week (100 to 150 km a day), he was drinking a bottle of wine a  day, he
smoked a pack a day, he was eating everything he liked.  Coppi on the other
hand trained every day, didn't drink, didn't smoke  was eating only special
food, etc. And yet, Bartali has beaten Coppi  many times. Now in the 1948
Tour De France, climbing the Izoard, he had not even eaten, and he did even
better at the Porte. One of the riders (Piot) said we were riding at 20 km
an hour, but Gino was climbing at 35km. It seems like an exaggeration,  but
no, after 2 km Bartali had gained already two and a half minutes (2 km at 20
= 6 minutes, 2km at 36 = 3.5 minutes). That's incredible, the rest of climb
he gained every km another 30 seconds. 35km or 21mph at times up parts of
the Col de Izoard and even faster up the Col de Porte. Bartali's tactics
were always very simple. First, exhaust you rivals and then strike at the
last climb. But then, he easily won seven or eight minutes in a few miles
with disconcerting ease. As one of his rivals said in '38, it's not fair.
It's as if we have to take the stairs, and he takes the elevator!
This is the same with Luperini, when she was in her prime she won easily,
looking completely refreshed, while her rivals were slumped over their
bikes, dead to the world. Its no wonder that the two greatest climbers of
all times are both from the Tuscany region. :-)
Cooke is in her prime, yet she must kill herself to win, that's my point! If
you saw Jean Robic and Louison Bobet after stage 17 I believe it was, these
are dead men, and yet Bartali calmly walks away with his flowers! Just
another days work! I saw this in Tour De Legendes video! I see Cooke as a
strong rider, good talent, but not a great champion!
Bruce

 Well, how can you be fresh after such a brutal climb like the mur d'Huy?
Next year we can vote on if Cooke will collaspe again if she wins! Or more
interesting still, if she does not win, will she still collaspe? Oxygen debt
and winning is real, not sure about the rest. :-)
B-