Nicole Cooke on Today this morning

[Danny]

They had quite a long interview with Nicole Cooke on the R4 today programme - starting about 7:45am. Amongst other things she argued persuasively that the UCI could and should be doing a lot more to promote women's professional cycling.

This morning's Today programme is not yet up on iPlayer, but I am sure it will be soon.

 

[Paulus]

I heard it too, it was interesting. Unfortunately when the subject of drug-taking came up, she said, 'I was pressured into doping.' I'm sure she meant to say, 'I came under pressure to dope,' - I hope that doesn't come back to bite her later .[/QUOTE

That sounds like a big oops from Nicole. She was always such a versiforous anti doping campaigner

 

[biggs682]

missed it

 

[Haitch]

I heard it too, it was interesting. Unfortunately when the subject of drug-taking came up, she said, 'I was pressured into doping.' I'm sure she meant to say, 'I came under pressure to dope,' - I hope that doesn't come back to bite her later .

That was odd. She first said others were pressurised into doping and then, in her next sentence, that she was, too, although she never saw anyone taking drugs.

ETA:
A pity the interviewer was more interested in Lance Armstrong than Nicole Cooke.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

A great pity. The trail of damage continues.

BTW, the coverage of the time trial on BBC1 this morning was preceded by a very good piece about the Rwandan cycling team.

Yes, I've seen it before but it was a good time to repeat it.

The Cooke interview is now up - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04brpdh

 

[Danny]

That was odd. She first said others were pressurised into doping and then, in her next sentence, that she was, too, although she never saw anyone taking drugs.

ETA:
A pity the interviewer was more interested in Lance Armstrong than Nicole Cooke.

I took it to be unfortunate wording. If you read the retirement statement on her website she talks in some detail about how she was put under pressure to dope, but refused to do so.

 

[biggs682]

[QUOTE 3206906, member: 259"]It's on BBC iPlayer if you want to hear it later.[/QUOTE]
will try and remember

 

[yello]

A pity the interviewer was more interested in Lance Armstrong than Nicole Cooke.

Exactly what I thought.

I too raised my eyebrows re her choice of words ("pressured into doping") but her following words more than clarified her meaning.

I shall be buying her autobiography (hopefully) next week when I'min the UK. I'm a big fan of Nicolle. She did so much through her own strength of will, with not a great deal of official/sporting body support. She is one gutsy, driven individual.

 

[HF2300]

The Cooke interview is now up - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04brpdh

At about 01:41:15 on the recording.

She's promoting her book, of course. There were some extracts in the Times last weekend which were interesting, but she did come across as a bit chippy and self-justifying. Of course, that may just be the Times' / publisher's / publicist's editing.

There was an item in the excerpts about doping, referring to her coming into a room to find a team mate with a drip in her arm (which contradicts what she said in the Today interview). Says she reported it but no-one was interested, so she made it clear to the team that it wasn't acceptable and she wasn't going to get involved. They were bound to follow up the doping question with a reference to LA, really, and maybe the doping question was triggered by the book extracts released.