Nobili Rubinetterie to Vlaanderen

Women's team Nobili Rubinetterie Menikini Cogeas will start its Northern racing programme with the Ronde van Vlaanderen next Sunday and has announced its roster: Australian Olivia Gollan, who makes her European debut after the Commonwealth Games, Marta Vilajosana, Sigrid Corneo, Eveyln Garcia, Miho Oki and Edita Pucinskaite. Team director Walter Zini is hoping that his girls won't deceive him in the 'Classic of the Walls', as it is one of the squad's greatest objectives this season.

"The team is growing stronger, and the Tour of Flanders is too important a race to not be going with the team's leaders," Zini said. "We head to Belgium feeling confident of being able to make a good appearance. Oki, Pucinskaite and Gollan have already shown in the last Italian competitions that they are in good shape; they will be able to follow the best riders. It's true, we're still chasing that first victory..."

After the World Cup event, Nobili Rubinetterie will remain in Belgium to participate in two Belgian calendar races, the Grand Prix Dottignies and Nandrin. With the exception of Edita Pucinskaite, the Flanders roster remains the same for these two events, furthermore joined by Silvia Valsecchi, Emanuela Azzini and Oxana Kostenko.