Cooke will defend her world road race title later this month

Nicole Cooke has revealed she will close down her professional women's cycling team unless a sponsor can be found before the end of the season.

The Olympic and world champion formed Vision 1 less than 12 months ago.

But despite seven race victories, the team has struggled financially this season, forcing Welsh star Cooke to use her own money to keep it going.

"It is not possible to manage a team and be a cyclist at the same time," the road race champion told BBC Sport.

"Enthusiasm is not enough to compete against the big teams. If we don't find the budget for next year I will have to stop the whole project."

Vision 1 is still going despite the fact that the squad's calendar for the rest of the 2009 campaign was scrapped at the start of August.

The 26-year-old Cooke decided to compete in Team GB colours from that point on but was already taking on a greater role in the business side of Vision 1 following the departure of team manager Stefan Wyman, who quit in May.

She blamed the stress of running the team for the illness which forced her withdrawal from a race in Thuringen-Rundfahrt in July.

The team is still alive and I hope with new funds we can write a new chapter for next season Nicole Cooke

"When we didn't find a main sponsor, I had to bring into the team a lot of my personal money, a lot of effort and energy to make it work," she said.

"The result was I was exhausted in the end and became sick - I simply cannot afford to be the main sponsor of the team for years."

Cooke, who will defend her world road race title at in Mendrisio on 23 September, remains confident a team sponsor can be found.

"The team is still alive and I hope with new funds we can write a new chapter for next season," she said.

"I still think my motivation to create a team concept supporting young British riders is a good idea and necessary for British cycling.

"Even when it was not so obvious to the public, some of the young girls we have in our team have done some very impressive races."

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