Tour of New Zealand 2008    (UCI 2.2)

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Nürnberger sending 'big guns' to Wellington

area, North Island, New Zealand, February 27 - March 2

Two former World Champions in line-up

Wellington cycling entrepreneur Jorge Sandoval MNZM, has today confirmed the inclusion of another of the world’s best professional teams for this month’s New Zealand Community Trust women's Tour of New Zealand 

The Équipe Nürnberger Versicherung team is made up of top European riders from three different nations and includes 2005 Wellington World Cup winner and 2002 world junior champion Suzanne de Goede from the Netherlands. De Goede is used to winning races all over the world, with more than 15 wins over the last four years, including the overall winner of the Tour of Drenthe in the Netherlands on two occasions.

The team is led by 2005 World Champion Regina Schleicher of Germany. Schleicher has won six stages in the women’s Giro de Italia as well as world cups in France and Spain and stage wins in tour of Canada, Spain the Netherlands. 

1999 World Champion and last year’s Tour of Italy winner Edita Puckinskaite from Lithuania is another world class rider making her first visit to New Zealand. Her various victories around the world include last year’s Giro de Italia, the 2005 tour of El Salvador as well as many other high finishes in major tours over the last seven years.  No doubt, she is one of the most accomplished riders in this year’s tour.

Charlotte Becker, from Germany, is the 2004 and 2005 European champion and 2006 German road Champion. Becker is a track riding specialist and coming to Wellington as the fourth member of the team.  She has competed in World Cups all over the world and is a member of the German national team for this year’s Olympic Games in Beijing. 

Another German Trixi Worrack, was the 2003 German national champion.  Career highlights include winning the 2005 Primavera Rosa women’s world Cup in Italy, capturing the 2004 title of the Tour de L’Aude in France and the Tour de la Toscana in Italy. She has been with the team since 2006

Eva Lutz also from Germany is the sixth member of the team.

Race Director, Jorge Sandoval said, "To have former World Champions in your event is a privilege for any organiser. In this team we have probably the best of women’s cycling and they are coming to Wellington to have a good race. Edita Puckinskaite from Lithuania won last year’s Giro de Italy, one of the hardest tour to win in the world.  We are very privilege to host this world class riders in our country.”

“Cycling fans in New Zealand are in for a real treat when the NZCT tour starts later this month. All these riders are coming from the Australia World Cup and the Tour of Geelong, so they are race fit but once again the hills around the Wairarapa will test them to the maximum.”

“Competitors in the NZCT Tour of New Zealand will finish a stage at the infamous Admiral Hill in the Wairarapa, this proved to be the crucial stage in last week’s Men’s Tour of Wellington,” Sandoval added.