Elite Women's cycling team Nobili Rubinetterie-Menikini-Cogeas is satisfied with how the 2005 season went. The squad finished third on the UCI team rankings behind the Buitenpoort-Flexpoint team (second) and Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung (first), and could round out its success by winning the Vuelta Ciclista Femenina a El Salvador. Three of its riders, Edita Puncinskaite, Evelyn Garcia and Sigrid Corneo placed first, second and third respectively in the final general classification.
"Yes, it went well," said team manager Walter Zini. "Olga Slyusareva confirmed as World Track champion [scratch race], and won the European Championships, too. The road victories were all on a good level. It's true that it was hard in the beginning, but then the team found its order and we began to win regularly. We were behind as Slyusareva had to take a break because of a crash, and Pucinskaite achieved her good form only later because she had surgery in winter. So this delay cut down on our victories.
