Baden Cooke

Infobox Cyclist
ridername = Baden Cooke

---

image_caption = Cooke during the 2006 Bay Cycling Classic.
fullname = Baden Cooke
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1978|10|12
country = AUS
height =
weight =
currentteam = Barloworld
discipline = Road
role = Rider
ridertype = Sprinter
amateuryears =
amateurteams =
proyears = 2000–2001
2002–2005
2006–2007
2008–
proteams = Mercury
Française des Jeux
Unibet.com
Barloworld
majorwins = Tour de France, Green Jersey (2003)
updated = January 2, 2008
medaltemplates =

Baden Cooke (born 12 October, 1978 in Benalla, Victoria) is an Australian professional racing cyclist for UCI Professional Continental team Barloworld.

Cooke began competitive cycling at the age of 11.cite web| url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/interviews/badencooke01.shtml| title=Cyclingnews talks with Baden Cooke| author=Gabriella Ekstrom| publisher=cyclingnews.com| date=2001] He completed secondary school at Galen College in Wangaratta, Victoria.

His professional career began with the Mercury team in 2000. He found racing in Europe tough at first but soon adapted to life on the continent, although his successes were on home turf when he took victories in stages of the Herald Sun Tour and the Sea Otter Classic.

Having moved to the French team Française des Jeux in 2002, Cooke competed in the Commonwealth Games that year, finishing third behind fellow Australians Stuart O'Grady and Cadel Evans. He also participated in the Tour de France in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005. In 2003 he won the much coveted sprinters points classification competition green jersey by two points in a very tight sprinters finish on Stage 20 on the Champs-Élysées with fellow Australian sprinter Robbie McEwen second and Stuart O'Grady seventh in the final points classification. In 2004 Cooke came 12th in the competition for the green jersey.

Cooke represented Australia in the road race at the 2004 Summer Olympics along with team members Robbie McEwen, Michael Rogers, Stuart O'Grady and Matt White, but failed to finish the race.

Cooke raced the 2006 and 2007 seasons for the Belgian based Unibet.com cycling team.

He signed with the Barloworld cycling team for the 2008 season, but following his team member, Moisés Dueñas' positive test for EPO during the 2008 Tour de France, Barloworld Ltd announced their withdrawal from sponsorship of the team.cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Sponsor quits Tour after doping | date=19 July 2008 | publisher= | url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/cycling/7515524.stm | work =BBC News | pages = | accessdate = 2008-07-19 | language = ]

Cycling career

;1994:2nd, AUS U17 Road Race Champion in Queensland.;1996:AUS U19 Points Race Champion:1st, Bendigo Tour :1st, Criterium Bike SA Race;2000:AUS Madison Champion:1st, Prix de Bles d'Or:1st, Stage 7 & Points Classification Vodacom Rapport Tour:1st, Criterium Competition Herald Sun Tour:1st, Stages 2, 5 and 9 Herald Sun Tour ;2001:1st, Stages 6 & 10 & Points Classification Tour de l'Avenir:1st, Stage 4 Sea Otter Classic;2002:1st, Dwars door Vlaanderen :1st, Tro-Bro Léon:1st, Stages 2 & 4 & Overall Herald Sun Tour:1st, Stage 1 & Overall Paris-Corrèze:1st, Stage 1 GP du Midi Libre:1st, Stage 8 Circuit des Mines:brca, 2002 Commonwealth Games Road race;2003:Tour de France::)::Held White jersey for 2 days::1st, Stage 2 (in Sedan):1st, Stage 9 Tour de Suisse :1st, Stages 1 & 4 Tour Down Under :1st, Stage 3 Tour Méditerranéen :1st, Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen :1st, GP de Fourmies ;2004:1st, Stage 6 Tour Down Under:1st, GP d'Ouverture La Marseillaise:1st, Stages 1 & 3 Tour Méditerranéen:1st, Stages 2, 3 & 5 Herald Sun Tour:1st, Stage 2 Three Days of De Panne;2005:1st, Stage 1 Tour of Poland:1st, Stages 4 & 5 Herald Sun Tour;2006:1st, GP d'Ouverture La Marseillaise:1st, Stage 1 Course de la Paix:1st, Halle-Ingooigem:1st, Stage 5 Tour de Wallonie;2007:1st, Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen:1st, Stage 3 Tour Down Under:1st, Stage 2 Étoile de Bessèges

External links

* [http://baden-cooke.com.au Official website]
* [http://www.badencooke.fr.tc french website]
* [http://www.cycling.org.au/Content/NavigationMenu/H_P_/Rider_Profiles/Male_Riders/Baden_Cooke.htm Australian Cycling Federation profile]

Persondata
NAME= Cooke, Baden
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Racing cyclist
DATE OF BIRTH= 1978-10-12
PLACE OF BIRTH=Benalla, Victoria, Australia
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=