Laura Trott - as hard as nails

[mrcharly-YHT]

I've followed Laura on facebook.

She crashed hard enough on day one to have to have doctors do a minor bit of surgery to remove wood from her leg and stitch her up.

Then went on to get gold in the Omnium and Team Pursuit.

Laura Trott: as hard as coffin nails.

[Andrew Br]

Joanna Rowsell also deserves a mention; she broke her collarbone August and I think she's also recently had her tonsils out.

[Kim]

Well, I've got the falling off my bike bit sussed, I suppose...   

[Canardly]

Didn't she do well.

[jane]

And still young.. lots more to come, I hope.  I listened to Nicole Cooke this morning on Today.  Now there's someone who never got the recognition she deserved in the way the British men have done.  Let's hope Cookson acts on his words before his election and really does something to support the women's sport.  Otherwise we may not see people like Trott and Rowsell really achieve their potential and fewer young women to take their place.

[mattc]

I listened to Nicole Cooke this morning on Today.  Now there's someone who never got the recognition she deserved in the way the British men have done.

What still puzzles me is how much less coverage/recognition Cooke got/gets compared to the women that followed her.

[rafletcher]

She was always seen as somewhat confrontational, whereas the current crop are (mostly) all pally with press and each other.

[spesh]

She was always seen as somewhat confrontational, whereas the current crop are (mostly) all pally with press and each other.

Cooke succeeded in spite of the system prevailing in her day, and it required a certain amount of combativeness - today's cycling darlings are products of the new and relatively improved system that was started with the advent of lottery funding and the WCPP.

Just sayin'...

[jane]

I have to admit I agree in part.  The successful women now  are benefiting from the increased profile of cycling overall, to some extent anyway, which was only just beginning in Cooke's time.  But, like the trickle down theory we got fed about wealth production in the 80's, I do think it will take more that to inspire, support, train and provide a decent living in the future for talented girls and young women, on an equal basis with young men. 

[Karla]

Someone more knowledgeable can correct me if I'm wrong, but the British female track program seems pretty good: lots of races, lots of funding, lots of coverage, nothing to complain about.  Nicole was/is a road cyclist and the road is a different scene with different issues, which shouldn't be conflated with the track.  A few years ago the women's elite road scene was developing quite well, with lots of races etc, but then the bottom dropped out when big races such as the Tour de l'Aude and the Grande Boucle Feminin were cancelled, so there was practically nothing.  I don't really know where it's at right now, but I hope it's building back up again. 

[andrew_s]

I do think it will take more that to inspire, support, train and provide a decent living in the future for talented girls and young women

Witness Katie Colclough deciding to retire at the grand old age of 23.

[mattc]

That's only 5 years before the age limit for women.

[jane]

Yes, Mr B, you're right. Women's track cycling seems about as high profile as the men's.  I was thinking more about the road racing. I am hoping Cookson might do something about it... He mentioned it in his Manifesto, anyway.  Although I expect it comes down to money and sponsors.   I don't know enough about how the UCI works to say if he will be able to make real changes in that.  Although the old set up always struck me as still way back in the last century as regards sexual politics, so I am hoping the only way is forwards in that regard.

[David Martin]

It is all about the money. When womens road racing gets TV and press time, the sponsors will come. TV and press time is bought by the race sponsors. Do we see a circular problem here?