Nicole Cooke will seek to add the women's World Road Championship to her Olympic road race title in Varese, Italy, today. The Welsh rider leads a strong Great Britain team in the 138-kilometre race that also includes fellow Olympians Emma Pooley, the silver medal-winner in the women's time-trial in Beijing last month, and Sharon Laws.

Cooke harbours intense ambition to win the world road crown, one of the few titles to have eluded her. In tomorrow's 260-kilometre men's race, David Millar will be Britain's leading hope. But he was disappointing in Thursday's time-trial and Steve Cummings, who finished second in the Tour of Britain this month, may prove a more likely challenger.

Lance Armstrong's comeback has gathered pace after the Texan announced that he would race in the Tour of California in February and received an invitation to next year's Tour of Britain. Alberto Contador, a new team-mate of Armstrong at Astana, has hinted that he would be unwilling to share leadership with the American. “I've earned the right to be the leader of a team without having to fight for my place,” Contador said. Armstrong was keen to play down suggestions of a conflict. “I think he is the best rider in the world right now and I hope he stays with the team,” he said.