T-Mobile women confirmed for Wellington

The New Zealand leg of the Women's Cycling World Cup in March has confirmed the participation of the women's T-Mobile squad. The team managed over 40 wins last year, 19 of which were courtesy of German sprinter Ina Teutenberg. The team also includes the winner of the gold medal in the 2004 UCI world championship road race, Judith Arndt, who also won silver in the women's road race at the Athens Olympics. Riding alongside them will be French champion Magali Le Floch.

"Having the team currently considered to be the best in the world racing here in New Zealand is great for the sport and for our event," said race director Jorge Sandoval. "The 2006 Wellington race is already looking like being bigger and better than the inaugural event we held in March last year, and that's fantastic for everyone involved. The better we can make it, the more international exposure both the race, and New Zealand, will receive. It's going to be big."

Sandoval said both the World Cup race and the preceding three-day Trust House Women's Tour of New Zealand will also provide a great opportunity for New Zealand's best cyclists to test themselves against the best in the world just ahead of the Melbourne Commonwealth Games, later in March.

Entries have also now been received from the German and Russian national teams, and Italian pro team Safi - Pasta Manhattan.

The Wellington race, on Sunday, March 5, is the second of eight legs in the UCI's World Cup series. The first leg of the World Cup will be held a week earlier in Geelong, Australia.