August 3, 2002 (Manchester, England) – Nicole Cooke (Wales) certainly made up
for a relatively mediocre week by winning the Gold medal over Canada’s Susan
Palmer-Komar today. Cooke, who stunned the world winning the Rainbow
jersey last year in all three junior women’s disciplines; road, mtb and time
trial; has thus far not won a medal in her native United Kingdom.

The race
consisted of a breakaway that contained Australian Margaret Hemsley, who
seemed poised to win the race before she fell on the second-last lap. The
break consisted of Lyne Bessette of Canada, Caroline Alexander (Scotland),
Palmer-Komar, Heal and Roz Reekie-May (New Zealand) , Hayley Rutherford
(Australia) and Cooke (Wales). After Hemsley’s fall the race was once
again wide
open, with Cooke outsprinting the remains of the break, just nipping
Palmer-Komar. Canadians Bessette, Erin Carter and Clara Hughes finished
seventh, 15th and 20th, respectively.

Commonwealth Games 2002

Women’s Road Race

1. Nicole Cooke (Wales) 2.35.17 (36.165 km/h)

2. Susan Palmer-Komar (Canada) 0.01

3. Rachel Heal (England)

4. Hayley Rutherford (Australia)

5. Roz Reekie-May (New Zealand)

6. Caroline Alexander (Scotland)
7. Lyne Bessette (Canada) 0.02

8. Frances Newstead (England) 0.26

9. Anna Millward (Australia) 1.40

10. Liz Tadich (Australia)

11. Melissa Holt (New Zealand)

12. Margaret Hemsley (Australia) 3.51

13. Rochelle Gilmore (Australia) 7.29

14. Emma Davies (England)

15. Erin Carter (Canada)

16. Ann Bowditch (Guernsey) 7.30

17. Mel Sears (England)

18. Vanessa Guyton (New Zealand)

19. Sally Ashbridge (Scotland)

20. Clara Hughes (Canada)

21. Sara Carrigan (Australia)

22. Nina Davies (Wales)

23. Kirsty Robb (New Zealand)

24. Julia Hawley (Bermuda)

25. Melanie Claude (Bermuda)

26. Sara Symington (England)

27. Penny Edwards (Wales)

28. Sue Carter (England)

29. Sarah Ulmer (New Zealand) 7.31

30. Jacqui Fletcher (Isle of Man) 7.32

31. Joanne Cavill (Scotland) 8.57

32. Katrina Hair (Scotland)

33. Caroline Cook (Scotland) 15.52

34. Sharon Watterson (Isle of Man) 17.01

DNF Hsu Min Chung (Malaysia)