Matt Seaton on spoty

[campagchris]

An interesting article by Matt Seaton a real writer/journalist.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisf...y-nicole-cooke

[peanut]

I agree wholeheartedly with Matt's assessment. Not to detract from Hoy's win which is great for cycling. Cooke's achievement clearly eclipses Hoy's .
What I cannot understand is why everyone wants to knock success these days. Where did this British sickness come from ?
90% of the comments left were presumably from disgruntled F1 or Swimming fans. Why is it can't just applaude and celebrate that a very talented brit cyclist won the SPOTY ? no one is a loser they were all winners and the average brit is the better off this year for the tremendous sucess of all our althletes.

[scm]

He's right on the money, too!

[Edric]

If id known Hoy was going to win by so many I would have only voted once

[Eggbeater_Express]

I voted for Cooke. I've never voted in anything like this before, but I just felt a bit sorry for her, achieving so much and being overshadowed. Also, I didn't think Hoy had any chance of beating Lewis Hamilton.

[plymchick]

I voted for Cooke - and only Cooke - simply because, as Matt says, she achieved more than anyone else this year.

Great that a cyclist won though - well done Chris and great that cycling was recognised by winning Coach and Team of the Year awards

[Smokin_Joe]

Thanks for the link to that, Chris.

At least now we know there is one mainstream journalist who actually understands the sport of cycling.

No offence to Hoy, but Seaton is bang on the money.

[aphextwin]

It's a great article, but I don't agree with it.

I'll play devil's advocate. Cooke did the double, but she did win 'just' two races, and ones that - despite what Seaton says - do not include the strongest fields of riders, as they have to also include countries that don't have a great cycling pedigree.

Who here can honestly say in any given year that the winner of the men's World Championships is honestly the best cyclist in that year?

It's a one day race, and often not a very good one at that. Is it a better race than, say, Paris-Roubaix, just because someone gets to wear a pretty jumper for a year at the end of it?

Of course, you could level the same arguments at Hoy's track events - but he won more of them.

Really though, we're squabbling over a spoil of riches. What is truly great is that we have so many cycling champions to choose, and argue, about.

[James70]

Cooke's achievement clearly eclipses Hoy's.

Why? Give me one good reason? And that reason can't be that you prefer road racing to track.

Cooke (her wins are fantastic, no mistake) only won those two races because of Emma Pooley. Take her out and Cooke wouldn't have won. Cooke is only as good as her team, but thankfully this year her team were fantastic.

Hoy on the other hand had to win two of his golds on his own. He even had to beat his own team mates! (And lets not forget his TWO world titles - his eighth and ninth of his career).

Don't start saying I'm knocking Cooke, because I'm not - what she did this year will go down in history. But what Hoy did is was just as good, if not better.

[james_sheffield]

.

At least now we know there is one mainstream journalist who actually understands the sport of cycling.

I’m sorry that's bulls**it I’ve lived and breathed cycling all my life, mainly following the road. I voted for Chris Hoy and I understand cycling, to say that anybody with an understanding of the sport should have voted for Cooke is wrong!

What you are saying is that you personally would prefer a road rider to win the award rather than a track rider because you believe it to be harder to win. I agree with you in a sense but only in that there are more variables in a five hour road race than a one minute sprint and you also need a little more luck

But what everybody has to acknowledge is that Chris Hoy put as much hard work, dedication and commitment into winning his gold’s as Nicole Cooke. The crucial difference is that Hoys achievements and character captured the wider public’s imagination which is what SPOTY is all about.

Don't down Hoys achievement by saying Cooke's was better, that’s just a blatant insult to the 12 years of hard work Chris Hoy put in. The SPOTY award is as much about public profile and character as sporting achievement and unfortunately Nicole's NOT YET in the same league in terms of profile. This was Chris Hoys time and one day hopefully Nicole Cooke will also get her turn!

Chris Hoys win of SPOTY was not down to a lack of understanding of cycling it was because i and many others wanted a cyclist (yes a track rider is still a cyclist!) to win the award and in Chris Hoy we have a fantastic ambassador who will promote all aspects of cycling, including the road!