Cycling: Mitchell selected despite ranking

Experience gave Hamilton's Glen Mitchell the nod ahead of Fraser McMaster for the vacant position in the New Zealand Commonwealth Games road cycling team.

Mitchell was named yesterday to replace Julian Dean, whose European professional team refused to release him for the Manchester Games, which start in five weeks.

Canterbury's on-form McMaster boasted a stronger case after winning the recent Tour of Greece as well as performing strongly in other European events.

However, New Zealand selection convener Gordon Sharrock said they had gone with the rider they considered the best medal hope.

"We were always determined that if we lost Julian we would replace him with one of the more experienced top pros.

"Glen was an original nomination, we had him down as our fifth choice and in our discussions with [director of road coaching] Gary Bell, we were all quite happy to put Glen in."

Mitchell has competed, with limited success, at the past two Olympic Games and the most recent world championships. He was 32nd at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur.

His world ranking of 1017 did not compare favourably with McMaster's 548th.

However, Sharrock said it was hard to compare the form of the two because Mitchell raced for a US-based team but at a higher level than most of his compatriots.

"Glen's had some good results, and he's been riding against the likes of [Tour de France multi-winner] Lance Armstrong, so he's had good competition."

Sharrock said Mitchell was the only cyclist who could come close to Dean's sprinting ability.

"Glen is a top sprinter, in fact he's a very strong all-rounder.

"He would be the best hill-climber in the team."

The other option for selectors was Graeme Miller but Sharrock said the outspoken veteran was always rated below Mitchell in the selectors' consideration for Manchester.

New Zealand's best medal chance now shaped as Wellingtonian Gordon McCauley, renowned for his aggressive style.

"Gordon will go from the gun. He tries to set up a breakaway with a small group, that's the way he won the nationals here, he went right from word go.

"There's always the chance that these things come off."

Over the weekend, McCauley won the annual GP Puivelde race in Belgium.

He took the 165km race from local rider Danny Daelman and American Joseph Boulton to record his third professional win this season for Belgian team RDM-Flanders.

- NZPA