Cooke claims World Cup

The 20-year-old from Wick described the World Cup as the biggest win of her career, but she has targeted the most prestigious title in the women's cycling calendar, the World Championships.

This year's event will be staged in Hamilton, Canada, in October and Cooke is confident she has enough gas in the tank to make a serious assault on the race.

"It's a big ambition of mine to win the World Championships," Cooke told BBC Wales Sport, "I'm going with the intention of bringing home a medal."

Cooke, who has won four junior world titles and a Commonwealth Games gold medal, was in no doubt about the significance of her World Cup triumph.

The World Championships are the pinnacle of cycling Nicole Cooke

"The other world titles were at a junior level and there's not the depth of quality there," she said, "The World Cup is a year-long event on all types of courses so you have to be the complete rider.

"But the World Championships are the pinnacle of cycling, if you win you get to wear the champion's jersey for all the following year.

"The course in Hamilton is a good one which will suit me.

"I'm going to do my best to prepare and have a good ride, but even if it doesn't happen this time I've got years in front of me to get it right."

Cooke faces a punishing schedule in the build-up to Canada, with the final round of the World Cup in Holland followed by a trip to Athens to scout out the Olympic course.

Races in San Francisco and Tuscany follow, before the final two-week preparations for Hamilton.

Some may imagine a jet-setting existence for the young Welsh girl, but the cash-strapped world of women's cycling is far from extravagant.

After clinching the World Cup in Germany on Sunday, Cooke was facing a drive to Holland for another race on Monday - and the prospect of a night's sleep in the team camper van.

"It'll be fine and I'm sure we'll find some way to enjoy ourselves," laughed Cooke.