olYMPiC
road race cycling
STarS
SET for
WalES
Welsh olympic stars nicole
Cooke and Geraint Thomas are
expected to ride in Gwent next
June at the national road race
Championships.
The Welsh county has been chosen as next
David Millar wins the
2007 National Road
year’s host for the event and for 22 year-old
Race Championships
in Abergavenny
Thomas, a track gold medalist in the Beijing
Games last month, the race will come just days
before he starts the 2009 Tour de France in
monaco. He is concentrating his efforts on the road It is another boost to Wales' reputation as
instead of the track after Beijing, and is a cycling hub in Britain, having staged the
The British Cycling board have chosen Gwent penciling in the Gwent race on June 28 as National Championships in Abergavenny in
to stage all three road race events - women's, part of his high-profile programme next 2007, where Cooke and Tour de France stage
men's and juniors - after bids were made from summer that is set to include the classic winner David Millar took the gold medals, and
other parts of the UK. Giro d'Italia (Tour of Italy) and, on July 2, the also twice in Newport, in 2003 and 2004.
biggest cycling event of them all, the 21-day
It is a huge scoop for Wales and comes just a le tour marathon. Welsh Cycling president Bill Owen, whose
month after Cooke landed the Olympic Games bid for the events was accepted by British
road race title in Beijing and Thomas was one Thomas, speaking from his Italian base said, "It Cycling's board last weekend, said: "This is
quarter of the British Team Pursuit side which is awesome that wales has got the Nationals another endorsement that Wales is a real
broke the world record by three seconds in again. cycling powerhouse in the country. I'm
winning gold in China. delighted that British Cycling have granted us
"I have missed it for the last two years these races and we all know, from past years
Cooke, 25, from Wick, Mid Glamorgan, has because I've not been able to fit it into my that we have held them, that the Nationals
won the national title nine times in a glittering schedule but I definitely want to do it next will attract the biggest riders here.
career which has now given her every crown year."
available in global women's cycling. "Nicole will be defending her women's title
Venues for the races are not confirmed at again and the men's title should be a superb
Cardiff's Thomas, who famously completed the the moment but they are likely to be staged contest, with Rob Hayles defending it along
Tour de France in 2007 on his debut in the around the Abergavenny and Monmouthshire with Geraint and this year's in-form road
event, is also going to be in the field for the areas or around Newport. racer Russell Downing."
men's race.
WElSh ladiES aT
They beat Ireland and Scotland to set up a thrilling final match
against their closest rivals, England . They lost that narrowly,
golf ThE doublE
leaving the two teams tied – it went to an individual countback
of games won and Wales triumphed 12-10.
Welsh women golfers have completed a historic double, wining the
Home Internationals at both ladies and seniors levels. The Welsh Senior Ladies Team completed a remarkable double
by winning the Ladies Senior Home Internationals at Little
They won the ladies home internationals at Wrexham, only the Aston. After beating Scotland 5-3, they hammered Ireland 7-1
ews
second time Wales has ever won the event – the last time being at and completed the Triple Crown by beating favourites England
n
Royal Dornoch in 1999. 5-3.
The team was led on home ground by Walker Cup star Breanne The team was led by former Curtis Cup player Vicki Thomas,
SW
Loucks, but it was a team effort which brought victory for Loucks, and completed by Jean O’Connor, Jane Rees, Janet Doleman,
32
Sahra Hassan, Rhian Wyn Thomas, Amy Boulden, Stephanie Evans Ann Lewis and Denise Richards.
and Tara Davies.
sportingwales
issue4twothousand&eight
SW_Issue4.indd 32 9/10/08 15:33:16
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