Saturday, April 27, 2024

Baden Cooke – “I think being an Agent is my calling”

-

HomeInterviewsBaden Cooke - "I think being an Agent is my calling"
Baden Cooke
Baden Cooke.

Season 2014 is the first since 1999 that Victorian, Baden Cooke won’t be pinning on a number; after 14 seasons as a professional he’s called ‘time’ on what was a highly successful career to move into rider management.

And whilst he’s not yet through his exams and officially a UCI Agent, he’s already enjoyed success in the role unofficially ‘helping out’ with placing Chris Horner at Lampre when things were beginning to look bleak for history’s oldest Grand Tour winner.

It was 2000 when Cooke turned pro with US team Mercury taking wins in the USA, Republic of South Africa and Australia – but more importantly one in France, the Prix des Bles d’Or where he beat a certain Sylvain Chavanel.

The next year he was still in the Mercury colours and despite the team ultimately fizzling out there were multiple wins in the USA and two stage wins in the Tour de l’Avenir.

French pro teams use the race as a shop window and sure enough in 2002 the Aussie was with F des J and immediately tasting success with wins in the cult Tro Bro Leon and the tough Dwars door Vlaanderen.

The 2003 season was arguably his best ever and the year he took a stage win and the green jersey in the Tour de France for his French équipe.

Baden Cooke
Despite the politics and turmoil around the Unibet team, Baden enjoyed a number of good wins in 2006 and 2007.

The following season he was still with the lottery team and won the GP Ouverture as well as stages in the Tour of the Mediterranean and Three Days of De Panne.

Season 2005 was his last with F des J and saw stage wins in the Tour of Poland and Herald Sun Tour back in his native Oz.

The ill-starred Unibet squad was home for the next two seasons; the team being used as a political ping pong ball by ASO with the UCI doing shamefully little to protect it.

Despite the intrigue ‘Cookie’ again won the GP Ouverture and the little known outside Belgium but highly prestigious and tough Halle-Imgooigem in 2006 and the flat, fast and furious Championship of Flanders in Koolscamp in 2007.

Barloworld – one time home to the likes of Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas – was the name on the jersey for 2008 with a win in the Clasica Alcobendas as the highlight.

There were podiums but no significant wins with Vacansoleil in 2009 and for 2010 he was with Saxo Bank, taking a Bay Crit win in Australia and a criterium victory in St. Quentin as well as working hard for Bjarne’s boys.

There were top 10’s in Dwars door and Gent-Wevelgem with Saxo in 2011 before his move to GreenEdge for 2012 and a share in the team’s Tirreno TTT triumph.

Last season saw him ride the Vuelta as his farewell to top line competition.

He recently took time to answer a few questions for VeloVeritas

Badern Cooke
Baden on stage eight of the 2013 Tour de Suisse. Photo©greenedgecycling

Did you always plan to stay in Europe after your career as a rider finished?

“Yes, Europe is my home.

“I’m not ready to go back to Australia just yet.

“I aim to build my business and spend most of my time in Europe for the time being.”

Why did you chose to go down the agency road rather than a DS – you have so much knowledge?

“I would enjoy being a DS and thing that I have much to offer; however I felt that my skills are also very well suited to being an agent.

“I enjoy negotiation and think that this will be my calling.”

Isn’t the agency world becoming a little crowded?

“Yes it certainly is very competitive.

“I aim to offer something a little different; I’ll offer my riders a more holistic service.

“I’ll provide my riders with training advice and generally help them arrange their lives so that their cycling can thrive.”

Baden Cooke
Baden hammers at the front in Paris-Roubaix 2011, before a broken cleat takes him out of the action. Photo©telegraph.com.au

What’s involved in the exams to be an agent?

“I’ll complete the exams in September in Switzerland.

“It’s a two day course and exams to make sure that the agents know the UCI rules and regulations.”

You were a pro a long time – what were the biggest changes you witnessed?

“Certainly the biggest change that I have seen is the changes is training techniques.

“The training has become so high-tech over the last ten years that if you are not using the latest techniques you’re falling behind.”

Which performances during your career give you most sense of achievement?

“Obviously winning the Green jersey was my finest moment and gives me the most satisfaction.”

Baden Cooke
Baden pulls on the Tour de France’s Green Jersey in 2003. Photo©abc.au

What do you remember as your hardest day in the saddle?

“That’s a stage in the 2002 Tour, in the Alps.

“I had a gigantic saddle sore so big that I had to cut half of my saddle away to be able to sit straight.

“The pace was furious from the beginning and I suffered that day more than ever before – or after.”

Who among your peers impressed you the most?

“I hate to say it but Robbie McEwen was a very impressive competitor.

“He was the ultimate professional and ultimate competitor.”

Who was the best DS you worked with?

“I always liked working with Bjarne Riis.”

Mercury – that must have been a trying time with the team petering out?

“Mercury was some of the best times of my life.

“It was disappointing when it ended like it did – but life goes on.”

Unibet – what are your thoughts on the way the UCI dealt with that situation?

“Unibet was dealt with terribly.

“For those in charge of cycling to allow such a big sponsor to leave the sport is totally irresponsible.

“Sponsors like that don’t come along every day. We as a sport should have welcomed them with open arms.”

A view shared by VeloVeritas and our ‘sage-in-residence’ Viktor we might add; with thanks to Baden and wishing him every success with his new profession.

Ed Hood
Ed Hood
Ed's been involved in cycling for over 50 years. In that time he's been a successful time triallist, a team manager and a sponsor of several teams and clubs. He's also a respected and successful coach and during the winter months was often working in the cabins at the Six Days for some of the world's top riders. Ed remains a massive fan of the sport and couples his extensive contacts with an inexhaustible enthusiasm for the minutiae and the history of our sport. In February 2023 however, our dear friend and beloved colleague Ed suffered a devastating stroke and faces an uncertain future; Ed has lost his ability to speak, to read, and has lost movement on the right side of his body. He's working with speech and physical therapists on rehabilitation, but all strokes are different and each patient responds differently, so unfortunately recovery is one day at a time. Ed ran his own business installing windows, and will probably not be able to work again. Please consider joining us to make a contribution to Ed's GoFundMe page to help stabilise and secure his future.

Related Articles

Michael Mørkøv talks Dwars Door Vlaanderen

One of the men of the Classics Season this year has been Saxo Bank’s Danish star Michael Mørkøv. He was away for 240 kilometres in the Primavera – it would have been longer but for the 'mad breenge' in the peloton to make sure Cav didn't get back after his crisis on La Manie.

Dan Craven – Part Two; Namibia, Recent Teams and African Racing

With Dan Craven's recent hook-up with Jean Rene Bernadeau’s Europcar squad we thought it was high time we had another word with the man with the most hair in professional cycling, and we heard all it in Part One of our interview with Dan yesterday. In Part Two the conversation turns to Dan's home country of Namibia as we find out about the country and it's cycling, the growth of the sport on the African continent and we learn a little more about his previous teams.

Joe Nally – in France for 2021, with Team Elite Restauration 89

Joe Nally is a resilient lad. He's gone out and got himself a ride with French Division Two équipe, Team Elite Restauration 89 based in Toucy for season 2021. Not a bad move in our opinion; the French scene may not be as strong as it once was but it’ll certainly provide more and better racing than Joe would have access to in the UK.

Ian Banbury – ‘Kamikaze’ for whom Olympic bronze wasn’t good enough!

We’ve opened the ‘Whatever Happened To’ file again; and this time it’s Ian Banbury; twice British Junior and once Senior Professional Pursuit Champion, British Junior and Professional Road Race Champion not to mention Olympic team pursuit bronze medallist. We opened by asking Ian about his training in those days...

At Random

The VeloVeritas Years – 2021: Young Scots with Big Futures

When we look through our articles for the year we're struck by how many of our interviews featured young Scottish riders, going through the National teams or 'just doing it' as we put it - making their own way with development squads around Europe and the world. We've featured riders such as Matti Dobbins, Stuart Balfour, Hamish Strachan, Sean Flynn, Matthias Barnet, Callum Thornley, Calum Johnston, Finn Crockett, Cameron Mason and Oscar Onley on our pages, and Oscar's interview encapsulates the potential, the drive and ambition these youngsters exhibit and therefore is our pick for 2021 for ‘The VeloVeritas Years’ collection.

Le Tour de France 2007 – Day 4: Stage 15, Foix – Loudenvielle Le Louron

The sun is hot even at 07.15, the autoroute is quiet, straight and fast; we're headed for le Tour and Loudenvielle Le Louron; Millie Jackson is telling us that her man is a "fine man" - what more could you want from life? It's 10.00 am now and we're on the descent off the first climb of the day, the second cat, Col de Port or Portet, depending on which sign you look at. Martin got his first look at le Tour village this morning, as always, the scrambled eggs were great and the coffee strong.

Tony Hoar

Tony Hoar, Britain’s second Tour de France finisher and famously, ‘lanterne rouge’ in the 1955 Tour de France has died in his adopted home of Canada, aged 87 years.

Ron Webb Tributes

We recently ran Pip Taylor’s fine obituary to Mr. Ron Webb, former professional bike rider, track builder, father of the modern Six Day format, team manager and mentor to many. Below, we’ve drawn together some of the tributes we received from Ron’s friends and former charges: