Welcome to my website!

Thank you for visiting Nicole's personal website, we will keep you up to date with Nicole's latest News and racing schedule, there is a detailed Biography and you can find out about Nicole's results in the Palmares and we have added lots of new photos to the Gallery.

Ever since Nicole first hit the headlines as a Junior winning multiple world titles she has marked herself out as one of the sport's leading stars and achieved her childhood dream becoming Olympic Champion in 2008. Nicole's palmares also includes the World Road Race Title, Tour de France and Giro D'Italia Tour victories, the World Cup and World No.1 Ranking.

2012 is a very special year for Nicole, the Olympic Games will be held in London and it will be very exciting to follow Nicole as she aims to defend her Olympic Title won so dramatically in Beijing in 2008. 

This season Nicole will race for the Faren-Honda Racing Team, although this is a new jersey it is a continuation for Nicole with her 2011 team management and team mates.  There is certainly a lot of excitement within the team as their preparations are well under way for the start of racing and this set up should provide a great platform for Nicole and her team mates to achieve their goals this season!  We will bring you more team information and update the racing calendar very soon... 

Team Hays Dominate Perth Crits Series, Nicole wins Overall & Sprints

On the final night of racing of the Smoke Free Perth Crits Series in Fremantle Team Hays Recruiting Experts Worldwide continued their domination of the racing with Leonie Burford taking the bunch sprint ahead of Bella King (Team Hays Recruiting Experts Australia) and Nicole in third.  The team's strategy worked to perfection during the race as Nicole won the 2 intermediate sprints to wrap up the Sprinter's Jersey and responded to the spirited attacks by Jess Allen (Glen Parkers Cycles) and Emma Pooley (AA Drink).  Then, as the race looked to finish in a bunch sprint the team launched Leonie Burford in the sprint and her win moved her from 4th to 3rd overall in the Series Classification to give Team Hays two riders on the podium with Emma Pooley finishing 2nd in the Series.

Nicole celebrating her win in the Perth Crits Series as she crosses the finish line in Fremantle - Photo by Tony Lendrum

This was an excellent display of team work over the 4 days of racing, Kate Finegan got the team off to a winning start with her victory in Stage 1 then over the next 2 stages Nicole took control of the Series with 2 great wins so that on the final night the team could set up Leonie Burford for the win.  Bec Wheadon played a great team role through out the series and it was also fantastic to see the young riders Bella King, Kelsey Robson, Elissa Wundersitz and Tian Becket of the Hays Recruiting Experts Australia Team get stuck in to the racing and gain valuable experience. See the pictures in the Gallery

Solo win for Nicole in Stage 3 of Perth Crits

The Town of Leederville was the first evening event of the Smoke Free Perth Crits Series and under the street lights there was a thrilling 3 way battle between Jess Allen (Glen Parkers Cycles) the 2011 Junior World TT Champ, Emma Pooley (AA Drink) the 2010 World TT Champ and Nicole (Hays Recruiting Experts Worldwide).  After a third of the race Nicole took the first Sprint prime and the leading trio formed, Allen and Pooley began attacking Nicole in turn and Nicole had her work cut out defending each time on the tight circuit.  Then, with 2 laps to go Nicole turned the tables on her break away companions launching her own attack and breaking away.  As the bell rang with 1 lap to go Nicole had a lead and continued to extend this until the finishing straight where she had time to celebrate her second stage win and consolidation of the series lead.  Pooley came in second and Jess Allen third.  The last stage takes place in Fremantle and while Nicole and Emma hold the top two places in the Series the third place is still fairly open with 3 riders in the mix, this could make for a tactical race as the Hays Team will be trying to get a second rider on to the final podium.  Full story Here and pictures in the Gallery.

Nicole en route to a solo victory as the bell rings for 1 lap to go - Photo by Tony Lendrum Photography

Nicole wins Stage 2 of Perth Crits and takes Leader's Jersey

Nicole stormed to a great win on the second day of racing at the 2012 Smoke Free Perth Crits in Victoria Park.  Emma Pooley (AA Drink) and Nicole, riding this race for Hays Recruiting Experts Worldwide, broke away after a few laps of racing and they proceeded to lap the whole field as they put on a great show of strength.  In the end Nicole was too fast for Emma in the sprint and her win, following on from 3rd place in Stage 1, means Nicole takes over the Series lead from her team mate Kate Finegan.  Bella King (Hays Recruiting Experts Australia) won the sprint for 3rd place.

Watch the Perth Smoke Free Criterium Mid Event Summary on YouTube

The winner's podium after Stage 1 (Photo Credit - Tony Lendrum Photography) See more in the Gallery

Stage 1 was an aggressive race with Kate Finegan (Hays Recruiting Experts Worldwide) winning from a 2-up break away with Jess Allen (Glen Parkers Cycles), the duo broke away after about one third of the race and although there were a lot of attacks from Jess Allen in the finale Kate was able to respond each time and then sprint home to victory and get the Series off to a perfect start for Hays.  Behind the break, there were numerous attacks from the bunch and Nicole marked an attack by Emma Pooley (AA Drink) which broke away from the bunch, Nicole crossed the line for 3rd place to round out the podium and Emma was 4th.  

Nicole is racing the Perth Crits with Hays Recruiting 11-14 February

Following a big block of training in Perth, Australia, Nicole will be racing in the Perth Crits Series to test the legs ahead of her return to Europe.  This event has been running since 2008 and will showcase Australia's top cyclists in some of the most popular suburbs of Perth.  Find out more at the Perth Crits Website.

Saturday 11th Feb - Osbourne Park

Sunday 12th Feb -  Victoria Park

Monday 13th Feb - Vincent Park

Tuesday 14th Feb - Fremantle

'Hays Recruiting Experts Worldwide' are sponsoring Nicole's team for the Perth Crits and Nicole will be racing alongside Leonie Burford, Kate Finegan and Rebecca Wheadon. A second team 'Hays Recruiting Experts Australia' will be headed up by newly crowned Australian Scratch Race Champion Bella King and WAIS riders Elissa Wundersitz, Tian Beckett and Kelsey Robson. 

This is the first time that Hays Recruiting are involved in supporting a cycling team in the Perth Crits and there will be a special ride from Kings Park leaving at 1pm on Sunday 12 February, the public are welcome to join the riders on a leisurely ride from King's Park to the Victoria Park race venue where you can then watch the racing and the team in action!  

Jayco Bay Crits with the Bike Exchange Dream Team

On January 1 Nicole got her 2012 season underway in Melbourne at the 4-day Criterium Series the Jayco Bay Crits.  Nicole rode for the Bike Exchange Dream Team including defending Champion Rochelle Gilmore, former Australian Crit Champion Kirsty Broun as well as Peta Mullens and Miffy Galloway.  

Kirsty Broun, Rochelle Gilmore, Miffy Galloway, Peta Mullens and Nicole ready for Action!!

Nicole had a successful debut with the Dream Team winning the Noosa Grand Prix in October 2011 but the team were unable to continue their winning streak in Melbourne.  Here are the results... and you can find out more about the Team here. 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Nicole wishes all her followers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and successful New Year 2012!!  Nicole has been training in Perth since racing the Noosa Grand Prix in October and making the most of the ideal training conditions with great roads, good weather and such a big cycling community in the area.  Christmas Day was spent with a gentle bike ride and then time at the beach in the Australian festive spirit of making the most of the great weather and great outdoors with family and friends.

Nicole Wins Noosa Grand Prix

Nicole has got her pre-season training camp in Australia off to a great start when she teamed up with Rochelle Gilmore, Peta Mullens and Myfanwy Galloway as part of ‘The Dream Team’ and won the Noosa Grand Prix held in Queensland. This is Nicole’s first time racing again since having a break after the World Championships and the girls rode an excellent race getting Nicole and Peta in the break away and then Peta led out Nicole for the sprint finish, winning by a few bike lengths. “The chance came to race with the Dream Team for Noosa and it seemed like a great way to start my training with some good racing in a fun environment with the girls. We had a few options coming in to the race with myself and Peta looking to go in a break away and Rochelle ready for a bunch sprint if it all stayed together so we just got stuck in and made some calls out on the road as the race developed. I’m really pleased to have been able to finish off the excellent work that the girls did in setting me up for the finish, especially Peta who won this event last year and did a great lead out for me, she was really strong!”

Watch the Video Here!

While the girls were in Noosa they have been fully immersed in the Festival atmosphere taking part in a ‘Breakfast Ride with the Pros’ on Friday morning and the Celebrity Cocktail Competition on Friday night. Nicole and Rochelle also took part in the bike section of the “Legends Triathlon” on Saturday afternoon with Nicole teaming up with Olympic Silver medallist Loretta Harrop and Olympic Champion Emma Snowsill, the winning team of the 'Legends' triathlon was made up of Gold medal kayaker, Ken Wallis, 2 x World Champion Ironman Chris 'Macca' McCormack and and Superbike world champion,Troy Bayliss. Nicole is now heading to Perth now where she will be based for her time in Australia.

Nicole finished 4th at the World Road Race!!!

Bronzini (1st) and Vos (2nd) sprint it out, Nicole is in 4th hidden behind Teutenberg (3rd)

[Credit Bettini Photo]

After 140km of racing the World Road Race Championships came down to a bunch sprint, Nicole was on the wheel of Marianne Vos as the bunch came round the last corner and as the sprint was launched with 400meters to go, Giorgia Bronzini came past Vos with Ina Teutenberg following and both Vos and Nicole were momentarily boxed in. Nicole relaunched her sprint but could not quite make it in to the top 3.

VIDEO - Watch the last 8km on YouTube

The race was fairly quiet with only a few attacks and the GB team rode very well aiming for a bunch sprint.  Well Done Girls!

This is the last race of Nicole's season and she will go in to the off-season with high spirits, there is a lot of work to be done in preparation for the 2012 season and with a result like today we know that together with the GB team Nicole is oncourse for another tilt at the Olympic Road Race to be held in London next summer!

The Championships began well for Great Britain.  In the Time Trials Elinor Barker, from Cardiff, Wales, won Silver in the Junior Women's Time Trial.  Emma Pooley won bronze in the Women's Elite Time Trial and then Bradley Wiggins won Silver in the Men's Elite Time Trial. 

Lucy Garner got the 3 days of Road Racing pff tp a great start by winning the Junior Women's Road Race with a super sprint finish and the whole Junior Girls Team of Elinor, Amy and Hannah rode excellently in support of Lucy - Congratulations Girls!!  Andy Fenn and thd U-23 Men followed this up with another great race with Andy winning Bronze. 

Then on Sunday Men's Elite team set up Mark Cavandish perfectly for the finish of the Men's road race and Mark unleashed his famous sprint to become the World Champion - An excellent Championships for all of Team GB. 

There is more news of the GB Team on British Cycling Website and race information on Copenhagen World Championships Website

To look at Nicole's races so far this year, go to the Calendar which has links to the race stories and results, as well as links to each race's website.  The Gallery  has a selection of photos of this season as well as an archive from when Nicole first began racing through to now.

For all the latest team news you can keep up to date by visiting the MCipollini-Giambenini Team Website and for immediate race results please check the UCI results website and select 'Women Elite'.

Nicole wins Stage 5 of Giro D'Italia! 

The winning moment! Photo by CJ Farquharson www.womenscycling.net

Nicole rode to a magnificent solo win in the 5th Stage of the Giro D'Italia Feminile, it was an especially sweet victory for Nicole to win infront of her sponsors who are based in the Verona region and were all there at the finish to support Nicole's MCipollini-Giambenini Team. 

With 15km to go Nicole initiated a break away from which she launched the winning move.  Read the full story here.

You can see the RAI Sport television coverage of Stage 5 on YouTube here.  There is also the Giro D'Italia Blog with Nicole's experience of the race.

Nicole took Third place in the Sweden World Cup on 31 July, bringing the summer block of racing to a successful end. Read the report and see photos here.  Following a rest Nicole will begin her build up to the World Championships at the end of September.   

Signed Autograph Cards

Nicole's Book - Cycle For Life

Nicole wrote this book to pass on her passion for cycling to help newcomers and experienced cyclists alike to get the most of of riding. Whether you are a social rider, tourist, commuter, sportivist or racer you will find info on what bike to buy and how to set it up. There's also guidance on nutrition and training plans for both beginners and serious athletes.

It is available from book shops or you can buy it online with this direct link to amazon.