General

Velominati Super Prestige: Women’s Olympic Road Race 2012

Cooke takes a Rule #9 Gold (despite violating the Goldilocks Principle)

What a difference four years can make. In Beijing, Nicole Cooke was the dominant rider in Women’s Cycling, taking wins in every important race on the Women’s calendar for several years running. Fast finish, good in the hills, good against the clock, she helped give context to what we mean by the term “all rounder”.

Four years on, she’s been struggling with injury and the pressures of forming her own team which has resulted in the inevitable reduction in results. But don’t count her out just yet; she has been showing some form already this year and during the last Olympic year, she burst into form for the event to take Gold. Add to that the motivation a British rider is sure to feel racing at her home Games, and you’d be a fool to leave her off your list of considerations.

Be that as it may, she’s facing up to a strong field. Kristen Armstrong dropped out of the Cascade Classic (while leading it) in order to prepare for the games. Not to mention Marianne Vos, who dominated the Giro last month – or Giorgia Bronzini, whose website I find vaguely frightening.

Review the route and study the weird, paged roster if you like pretending that helps you, and get your picks in by 5am Pacific on Sunday. (If you find Time Zone Mathematics too complicated, just get your picks in by the time the giant countdown timer in the banner goes to zero), regular One-Day VSP rules apply. Good luck.

Related Posts

Velominati Super Prestige: Men’s World Championship Road Race 2017

Sep 21 2017

Velominati Super Prestige: Women’s World Championship Road Race 2017

Sep 21 2017

152 Replies to “Velominati Super Prestige: Women’s Olympic Road Race 2012”

  1. America! Fuck yeah.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Armstrong
    2. Vos
    3. Brozini
    4. Arndt
    5. Teutenberg

  2. VSP PICKS:

    1. Marianne Vos
    2. Evelyn Stevens
    3. Cloe Hosking
    4. Judith Arndt
    5. Clara Hughes

  3. @frank

    @eightzero

    @frank

    @eightzero

    Years ago when Bill Johnson won the first US Olympic skiing medal, some TV dude pushed a mic in his face and asked him “what does an Olympic medal mean to you?” He smiled and answered rather truthfull, “Millions.”

    Oh, good. We get to argue about something else now. That wanker wasn’t the first American to win an Olympic medal, you git. Bill Koch, my childhood hero, won Silver in the 30k at the 1976 Games.

    Get a fucking education.

    Koch, Johnson…like ‘mercans follow sports we don’t own. I got the bill Part right.

    The guy who ran the outdoor store where the VMH and I met (while working there) had the last name of “Johnson”. His first name was “Rod”. Do you think his dad hated him?

    I understand someone actually named their daughter “Shithead.” It is an ethnic name pronounced shuh-THAYD, but still…

  4. @frank

    @eightzero

    Years ago when Bill Johnson won the first US Olympic skiing medal, some TV dude pushed a mic in his face and asked him “what does an Olympic medal mean to you?” He smiled and answered rather truthfull, “Millions.”

    Oh, good. We get to argue about something else now. That wanker wasn’t the first American to win an Olympic medal, you git. Bill Koch, my childhood hero, won Silver in the 30k at the 1976 Games.

    Get a fucking education.

    Bill is my VMH’s uncle, and has a humungous ego, until he decided he could come back and race with the kids, and tragically,(because I would never wish ill will on most folk) ended up a mostly broke and head injured.

    Because hey, Google Grewal and see what happened to him, right?

  5. VSP PICKS:

    1. Vos
    2. Stevens
    3. Arndt
    4. Emma Johansson
    5. Van Vleuten

  6. For what its worth, I reckon that pic of Bronzini is fuckin awesome.

    Lean, superfit, healthy, happy athlete rockin the rainbows. What’s scary or frightening? Maybe if you’re racing her…

    I thought this site was trying to move away from outdated preconception.

     

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Vos
    2. Hosking
    3. Polspoel
    4. Stevens
    5. Bronzini

  8. No idea but I’m thinking home advantage has to come in somewhere….

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Pooley
    2. Cooke
    3. Arndt
    4. Bronzini
    5. Vos

  12. @frank

    @Buck Rogers

    Congrats on going Orange Cog, mate.

    Thanks, although I turned orange cog last year.  You should be giving me crap b/c my article badge finally wore off and I haven’t written another one!

  13. Hope this is an attacking race.  Bronzini hasn’t done women’s cycling any favours suggesting by suggesting it “may be a waiting race”.  If we see a snore fest like Copenhagen…

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Evie Stephens
    2. Vos
    3. Arndt
    4. Pooley
    5. Hosking

  14. @frank

    @Buck Rogers

    Congrats on going Orange Cog, mate.

    What happens when you go “orange cog”? A new set of carbone tubs? Free entry to KT2013 (with an all expenses paid trip to the red light part of Amsterdam on arrival)? Ales with The Prophet?

    Congrats, I need to finish up another article or I’m going to lose my magic grey “V” badge.

  15. @scaler911

    @frank

    @Buck Rogers

    Congrats on going Orange Cog, mate.

    What happens when you go “orange cog”? A new set of Carbone tubs? Free entry to KT2013 (with an all expenses paid trip to the red light part of Amsterdam on arrival)? Ales with The Prophet?

    Congrats, I need to finish up another article or I’m going to lose my magic grey “V” badge.

    Pride in so many quality posts.

  16. How many of you will be tuning in to this? Will it be on steephill? I usually don’t see the women’s stuff there.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Vos
    2. Cooke
    3. Van Vleuten
    4. Armstrong
    5. Ardnt

  19. I just can’t get over my infatuation with Lucy Garner. Rio 2016’s prediction:

    Note the knee. She won, by several bike-lengths, on her first year as a pro. After crashing and injuring on the first lap, then bridging back up alone.

  20. Mmm a bit of a guess but I suspect the brits will either win gold or just miss the podium…personally I think the latter in the womens event.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. vos
    2. teute
    3. bronzini
    4. armistad
    5. numainville

  21. Clara Hughes to add a road bronze to her track and speedskating medal collection.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Bronzini
    2. Vos
    3. Hughes
    4. Armstrong*
    5. Old

  26. Bit of a crapshoot with my limited knowledge but i do know that Vos is a beast and that Cooke will almost inevitably be up there as a lone wolf. Armistead led out by Laws for 3rd and stevens continuing a good year. Bronzini thrown in cos i reckon i shgould…

  28. Lizzie to make it 2 out of 2 on the road races – home advantage!

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Armitstead
    2. Vos
    3. Stevens
    4. Cooke
    5. Arndt

  29. @ten B

    Clara Hughes to add a road bronze to her track and speedskating medal collection.

    I love your thinking on this. But having watched the one-on-one sprint at the Canadian championships, where Denise Ramsden pipped her (it was woeful””even Ramsden admitted to that), I suspect Hughes’s real shot at a medal is in the TT, and I’d certainly bet on her there.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. N. Cooke
    2. G. Bronzini
    3. M. Vos
    4. J. Arndt
    5. C. Hughes

  33. VSP PICKS:

    1. Clara Hughes
    2. Clara Hughes
    3. Clara Hughes
    4. Clara Hughes
    5. Clara Hughes

  34. I’m counting on the opposite of a bunch sprint.  If they bunch up, Bronzini will crush them.  But I’ve decided to go against the grain.  Hero or goat?

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Armitstead
    2. Vos
    3. Armstrong
    4. Johansson
    5. Pooley

  36. VSP PICKS:

    1. Marianne Vos
    2. Kristin Armstrong
    3. Ina Teutenberg
    4. Evelyn Stevens
    5. Emma Johansson

  45. VSP PICKS:

    1. Ina TEUTENBERG
    2. Clara HUGHES
    3. Giorgia BRONZINI
    4. Marianne VOS
    5. Nicole COOKE

  50. I haven’t done so well with the ladies this season and I don’t expect that to change with this race.

    VSP PICKS:

    1. Vos
    2. Bronzini
    3. Olds
    4. Pooley
    5. Johansson

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.