Former Olympic highway race champion Nicole Cooke retired from biking with speedy impact on today in 2013.
Born in Swansea, she was a trailblazer for biking in Britain and in 2008 turned the primary rider, male or feminine, to win Olympic and world highway race gold in the identical 12 months.
Announcing the choice to name time on her 13-year profession, the 10-time British champion stated: “My time in the sport is finished. I am very happy with my career.
“I have many, many happy memories over what has been my life’s work since I was 12. I have won every race and more that I dreamed I could win.”
Cooke, who retired on the age of 29, was a four-time world junior champion.
After turning skilled, she gained gold on the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, earlier than changing into the youngest rider to win the Giro d’Italia – aged 21 – in 2004 following on from triumph on the 2003 World Cup.
Cooke gained Britain’s maiden gold of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing in heavy rain by the Great Wall of China – the primary claimed by a Welsh athlete since 1972 – and backed that up with World Championship gold later that 12 months in Italy.
Four years on, she was a part of the staff as Lizzie Armitstead gained highway race silver for Britain’s first medal of London 2012.
Cooke had thought she may put an detached 4 years behind her and mount a defence of her title, however completed solely thirty first.
Following her retirement, British Cycling president Brian Cookson stated: “There is no doubt that Nicole has been a pioneering force in women’s cycling.”
