2008 World and Olympic Champion Nicole Cooke has signed a one-year contract with German team Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung, according to AFP. The team will become known as Skyter-Shipping from 2010 as current name-sponsor Nürnberger Versicherung – an insurance company from the southern-German city – ends its sponsorship.
Cooke, a ten-time British national champion, was rumoured to be associated with the team at the end of the 2007 season but elected to ride for Halfords-Bikehut, a team set up in partnership with British Cycling for 2008. In 2009 Cooke set up her own team, Vision1, partly as a project to develop up-and-coming British riders but financial issues meant that it was forced to fold in mid-summer. Cooke spent the remainder of her World Champion season racing for the Great Britain national team.
The defence of Cooke’s World title did not run smoothly, as problems with her team were compounded by an apparent virus in the latter part of the summer. The race in Mendrisio itself was a disaster as she was unable to cope with even the early pace and abandoned on the fifth of nine laps.
The Nürnberger Versicherung team currently includes American 2008 World Time Trial Champion Amber Neben, German Time Trial Champion Trixi Worrack and Omloop Het Nieuwsblad winner Suzanne De Goede of the Netherlands. So far, there has been no confirmation on the rest of the team for 2010, but the addition of Cooke will add strength in both one-day and stage races.