Nicole Cooke's Vision 1 team hits hard times

Most of the news of British road riders has been positive this Summer, but not everyone is having a good time. Nicole Cooke announced will be back in team GB colours for the remainder of this season as her Vision 1 Racing team struggles for funds.

Cooke is currently in Switzerland after pulling out of the Thuringen-Rundfahrt stage race in Germany and she's expected to be back in action in the next round of the World Cup on August 22. "I'm delighted with what Vision 1 has achieved this year, but now I am looking forward to riding with my GB team-mates so we can prepare for the World Championships in Menderiso", said Cooke. But the future of the rest of the team riders is far from clear: Vision 1 has shelved the rest of its racing programme for the season.

Despite positive results this year – both Cooke and Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (Fra) won their respective national titles in team colours – co-founder Stefan Wyman quit the team in May "It was a pleasure to be involved with the team and playing a part in its establishment and recent success in the Tour de L’aude", said Wyman at the time. "I started out in this project with good intentions and I’m happy that we have parted on good terms and I wish them all the success in the world for the remainder of the season."

Wyman's departure left the team without a principal sponsor, and though the team were keen to continue the future of Vision 1 now looks in doubt. The riders still have a training programme and five of the riders have a berth in Setember's Tour of Ardeche, but without a sonsor it's hard to see how the team will return next season.