Baden Cooke

Baden Cooke (born 12 October 1978) is an Australian retired professional racing cyclist, who competed professionally between 2000 and 2013.

Early life Born in Benalla, Victoria, Cooke began competitive cycling at 11. He completed secondary school at Galen College in Wangaratta, Victoria, and was an Australian Institute of Sport scholarship holder.

Career His professional career began with the Mercury team in 2000, though he found racing in Europe to be more challenging than initially expected. Nevertheless, he adapted. He was more successful during that debut season in Australia and America, where he won stages of the Herald Sun Tour and the Sea Otter Classic, respectively. Cooke announced on his website that he would ride for Team Saxo Bank in 2010 – he continued with that team in 2011, before moving to the new team for the 2012 season. In January 2014 he became the agent of former team-mate and winner of the 2013 Vuelta a España Chris Horner. He subsequently also became agent for Michael Matthews, Gert Steegmans and Janez Brajkovič.

He recently purchased a stake in Factor Bikes and Black Inc wheels.

Television appearances In 2021, Cooke competed on Australian Survivor: Brains V Brawn.

Career highlights Major results

1996

1st Bendigo Tour 1st Criterium Bike SA Race 2000 1st Wangaratta Wheelrace

1st Prix de Bles d'Or Rapport Tour 1st Points classification 1st Stage 7 Herald Sun Tour 1st Stages 2, 5 & 9 1st Criterium competition

2001 Tour de l'Avenir 1st Points classification 1st Stages 6 & 10 1st Stage 4 Sea Otter Classic 2002

1st Stages 2 & 4

1st Stages 1 1st Dwars door Vlaanderen 1st Tro-Bro Léon 1st Stage 1 GP du Midi Libre 1st Stage 8 Circuit des Mines

3rd GP Ouest France-Plouay 5th Paris–Brussels 9th Road race, UCI Road World Championships 2003 1st Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen 1st Grand Prix de Fourmies Tour de France

1st Stage 2 Tour Down Under 1st Stages 1 & 4 1st Stage 9 Tour de Suisse 1st Stage 3 Tour Méditerranéen 2nd Dwars door Vlaanderen 4th Paris–Tours 7th Paris–Bourges 2004

1st Grand Prix d'Ouverture La Marseillaise Herald Sun Tour 1st Stages 2, 3 & 5 Tour Méditerranéen 1st Stages 1 & 3 1st Stage 2 Three Days of De Panne 3rd Overall Tour Down Under 1st Stage 6 2005 Herald Sun Tour 1st Stages 4 & 5 1st Stage 1 Tour of Poland 5th Dwars door Vlaanderen 6th Gent–Wevelgem 2006 1st Grand Prix d'Ouverture La Marseillaise 1st Halle–Ingooigem 1st Stage 1 Course de la Paix 1st Stage 5 Tour de Wallonie 5th Overall Tour of Denmark 6th Paris–Tours 10th E3 Prijs Vlaanderen 2007 1st Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen 1st Stage 3 Tour Down Under 1st Stage 2 Étoile de Bessèges 4th Paris–Brussels 6th Omloop Het Volk 8th Gent–Wevelgem 2008 1st Stage 2 Clásica Internacional de Alcobendas y Villalba 1st Stage 1 Geelong Bay Classic Series 1st Stage 3 Herald Sun Tour 2009 1st Stage 4 Herald Sun Tour 2010 1st Stage 4 Bay Classic Series 2011 2nd Paris–Bourges 5th Dwars door Vlaanderen 10th Gent–Wevelgem

Grand Tour general classification results timeline

+ LegendDSQ DisqualifiedDNF Did not finish