Armitstead hopeful she’ll get nod to lead over rival Cooke

Armitstead hopes she will get the nod after being the nominated leader for September’s World Championships in Copenhagen, where she was held up in a late crash, finishing seventh, while Cooke finished fourth.

The 22-year-old from Otley remains frustrated by events in Denmark, saying Cooke rode “for herself”, adding: “I’ve never seen her work for a team-mate.”

Following the race, Armitstead confronted the issue. She said: “I said exactly how I felt. And I’m happy I did, because it’s been an unspoken situation for too long. Someone needed to be honest.”

Cooke was adamant she complied with the tactics: “I rode for the team and according to instructions given to me. I’ll ride for whoever the leader is.”