Baden Cooke 's contract with Orica-GreenEDGE hasn't been renewed and the veteran Australian has been unable to find another team for 2014. Unless a surprise opportunity arises, the former winner of the Tour de France green jersey has accepted that his career has come to an end.

The difficult market that has left many riders searching for a new team or forced them into early retirement may now have claimed its next victim. Having been left on the market by his Orica-GreenEDGE team, 35-year-old Baden Cooke has come to terms with the fact that he is unlikely to continue in 2014.

"I think pretty much it's over," he told news.com.au. "It's a really bad year for cycling with so many teams shutting down, there are hundreds of guys on the market with no job and I'm one of those guys. I'm speaking with one WorldTour team at the moment but it's a very small chance, there are probably 50 guys going for the one spot."

Cooke joined Orica-GreenEDGE from Team Saxo Bank- Sungard when the Australian team was created in 2012 and he has played a key role as a road captain and part of the lead-out train in the last two seasons. He admits to be " surprised  and disappointed" by the decision not to renew his contract but refuses to criticize his employer.

"I had no inkling this could be my last year," he said. "I thought I'd do two more years and at my age I can still ride fast enough to do my job well. It's a shame if I do have to go out not on my own terms but I'm not angry or anything, I've had a really good run.

"I'm very close with Gerry Ryan the owner of the team and Shayne Bannan who have both helped me immensely during my career. I'll never forget that and I wouldn't be here today if I didn't have their help over the years."

Cooke started his career on the track where he was a national champion before turning professional on the road with Mercury in 2001. As a young talented sprinter, he joined FDJ where he rode from 2002 to 2005 and enjoyed his greatest successes at that time.

While he was a solid classics rider who won the Dwars door Vlaanderen in 2002 and stages in the Tour de Suisse, Tour de Pologne and Tour Down Under, the defining race of his career was the 2003 Tour de France. He won a stage early in the race and ended up winning the points jersey after a fierce battle with compatriot Robbie McEwen.

"I've won 50-odd professional races and I'm proud of every one of those," he said. "Obviously the green jersey stands out as a life changing thing, the other ones are nice memories but the green jersey has changed my life really. That was a defining moment of my life."

In the final part of his career, Cooke raced for many different teams and had stints at both Unibet.com, Barloworld, Vacansoleil and Saxo Bank before joining Orica-GreenEDGE. He won his final race at the 2009 Herald Sun Tour and gradually changed from a sprinter to a road captain and lead-out man.

Cooke last raced at the Vuelta when he abandoned on stage 15.