Schleicher (right) celebrates as she crosses the line to claim victory

Cooke, 22, finished one place better than she managed two years ago.

Schleicher was a pre-race outsider, but many of the favourites failed to feature in a fragmented final sprint.

Australia's Oenone Wood claimed an emotional bronze medal. In July her team-mate Amy Gillet was killed in a road accident while training.

As predicted the city centre course produced a cagey race with a bunch sprint over the final few metres of the 78.3 mile (126km) course.

Cooke - who underwent knee surgery in August - found her way through a phalanx of Germans on one side and Italians on the other to punch over the line ahead of Australia's Wood.

The British team did their job in protecting the Commonwealth champion over each of the six 13.1 mile (21km) laps.

But while the Italians, Germans and Australians were at the front in numbers, Cooke was on her own as the race entered the Plaza Castilla and a long downhill straight to the finish.

However, Cooke, a four-time junior world champion, is known for her aggression and she held the wheel of defending champion Judith Arndt before launching her late attack to claim second.

There was disappointment for Cooke's team-mate Emma Pooley, who was elevated from the amateur ranks onto the international stage after finishing fourth in the nationals in May.

Pooley crashed with 34.8 miles (56km) to go and the 23-year-old Cambridge University graduate lay motionless for a while beneath a barrier before being lifted into the back of an ambulance.

Catherine Hare was also forced to pull out after being dropped by the peloton, leaving just three riders - Charlotte Goldsmith, Rachel Heal and Helen Wyman - to support Cooke.

1. Regina Schleicher (Germany/ Equipe Nuernberger) 3:08:52"
2. Nicole Cooke (Britain/ Safi) same time
3. Oenone Wood (Australia/ Equipe Nuernberger)
4. Dorte Lohse (Denmark/ Team SATS)
5. Chantal Beltman (Holland/ Vrienden van het Platteland)
6. Giorgia Bronzini (Italy/ )
7. Susanne Ljungskog (Sweden/ Buitenpoort)
8. Anita Valen (Norway/ Vlaanderen)