Tag: Lizzie Armitstead

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GB Announces World Cycling Championships Squads

No great surprise to hear that Mark Cavendish is to defend his titles at the upcoming World Cycling Championships in Limburg, Holland (September 16-23), part of the nine-man Road Race team that is to comprise Tour de France and Olympic Gold Medallist Bradley Wiggins, Steve Cummings, Alex Dowsett, Chris Froome, Luke Rowe, Ian Stannard, Ben Swift and Jonathan Tiernan-Locke. Froome will also represent GB in the Time Trials along with Alex Dowsett, something of a surprise double act which leaves out Geraint Thomas, who failed to make it beyond the long list.

 

The Elite Women’s Road Race squad will be Olympic Silver Medallist Lizzie Armitstead, Emma Pooley, Katie Colclough, Nicole Cooke, Nikki Harris and Sharon Laws, with Pooley also joining Wendy Houvenaghel in the Time Trial.

 

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Armistead Wins Team GB’s First Medal

What a difference a day makes, not only in terms of weather as the Women’s Road Race was fought in appalling conditions, but also for British fortunes as Team GB’s Lizzie Armitstead took Silver, the first medal of the Games for Team GB. The Netherlands’ Marianne Vos took Gold and Russia’s Olga Zabelinskaya Bronze.

 

From the off the weather and wet and greasy road conditions worked against the field of 66 riders and the 140km event was, not unlike yesterday’s Men’s Road Race, defined by multiple spills that frequently decimated the pack. Vos, Armistead and Zabelinskaya rode a hard break from the peloton for more than an hour towards the finish line as the weather continued to deteriorate and by the time the three riders hit a sprint finish to determine the medal colours the roads were treacherous.

 

23-year-old Armistead (who didn’t even own a bike until she was 16) was obviously jubilant and more than a little overcome with emotion, telling reporters, ‘I’m a bit shocked, I’m glad I committed to that break’.

 

Team GB’s Nicole Cooke (who won the event at Beijing) came in 31st and Emma Pooley who suffered what looked to be a puncture with less than 6km left to go, limped home 40th.

 

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Boonen Takes Flanders

Omega Pharma-Quick Step’s Tom Boonen yesterday took his third win at the Ronde van Vlaanderen (popularly known as the Tour of Flanders). Following on from victories in both 2005 and 2006 and capitalising on an excellent year so far, the Belgium held off Filippo Pozzato (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia) and BMC’s Alessandro Ballan, by a bike-length to win the sprint finish.

 

Meanwhile in the women’s edition of the cobbled classic Lizzie Armistead’s pre-race optimism quickly evaporated after an ill-advised and ultimately disastrous attempt to attack resulted in a finishing place of 34, something the GB star was quick to admit was down to he inexperience on the course. Some consolation for Armistead in that she beat rival Brit Emma Pooley, all be it by a single spot. The women’s edition was won by Germany’s Judith Arndt.

 

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Cobbled

Rumblings continue ahead of this weekend’s cobbled classic, the Tour of Flanders (or De Ronde van Vlaanderen for local flavour). Not only has the decision to move the finish – which has been in place for 40+ years – from Meerbeke, on the outskirts of Ninove, to Oudenaarde proven controversial, even causing rumours of potential sabotage, but the Elite Women’s edition remains somewhat clouded by Team GB rivalry.

 

Lizzie Armitstead faces off against rival Nicole Cooke (they ride for different teams when not flying national colours) and there is little love lost between them particularly in the wake of last year’s World Championships in Copenhagen when Cooke struck out on her own following a calamitous wipe-out. Adding further fuel to the fire is the fact that victory in Flanders is a step in the right direction for a place in Team GB for the Olympic Road Race, with a final decision for those spots not being made until June 7, much later than many other London Games disciplines. Although Cooke last week reported that hostilities had ceased and that she had ‘moved on’, Armitstead has made it equally clear that Flanders is a key objective for her, telling the BBC that the cobbles were, ‘…the main goal of the spring.’

 

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Armitstead Wins Gent-Wevelgem

Britain continues its rise to (world?) dominance with the news that Lizzie Armitstead has won the Gent-Wevelgem road race on the inaugural women’s staging of the classic, the victory marked her second major win of the year following the tongue-twisting Omloop van het Hageland – Tielt-Winge back at the start of March. The impressive win further strengthens Armitstead’s case for leader of Team GB at the London Olympics, at which she is considered a potential podium finisher, but for which she battles with reigning Olympic champion Nicole Cooke.

 

The men’s edition of the Gent-Wevelgem proved a disappointment for Mark Cavendish who managed only 58th overall position in an event dominated, for the second year, by eventual winner Tom Boonen of Omega Pharma-Quickstep; who helped the Belgium win-total up to an impressive 48 – a full 42 wins ahead of the next nearest country (Italy on a mere 6.)

 

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British Cycling Confirms Women’s RT Coach

British Cycling has announced that Chris Newton will take on responsibility for coaching the Women’s Road Team in the lead up to London 2012. As part of a restructuring within the GB coaching team, Newton will continue working with Great Britain’s Academy men on road and track (a position he has held over the past 12 months) but, with additional support from Keith Lambert, will now be able to commit time to oversee the six riders who are vying for the four (possible) Olympic places. Under his tutelage will now be Lizzie Armitstead, Emma Pooley, Lucy Martin, Sharon Laws, Nicole Cooke and Katie Colcough.

 

Commenting on the move Performance Director Dave Brailsford said: ‘We’re confident that Chris’ skills and capabilities will ensure that the Women’s Road Team arrive at the London 2012 Olympic Games ready to give their best possible performance.’ With Newton adding, ‘It’s a privilege to be working with such a talented group of riders and I am looking forward to this new challenge.’

 

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First for Armitstead

This year’s Women’s British National Road Race title has been comfortably won by Lizzie Armitstead of Garmin-Cervelo in a time of 2:48:40 over the 64mile course in Stamfordham, Northumberland. The 22 year old from Otley who had finished runner-up in both 2009 and 2010 (and is an alumni of the Great Britain’s Olympic Academy) sprinted home ahead of 10-time champion Nicole Cooke of Mcipollini-Giambenini to take her first National Championship win. Sharon Laws – also of Garmin-Cervelo – took third place on +4.

 

Very much seen as a riding star of the sport, Armitstead’s 2011 season had not started well with a string of injuries and illnesses – but following yesterday’s success (June 26), the clearly relieved rider commented: “Finally, thank God. I’ve been getting too many silvers…”