Cycling: Roulston signs pro contract

Hayden Roulston

Hayden Roulston has signed with a new professional road team as he looks to pedal past a forgettable year.

The 24-year-old has signed with Health Net-Maxxis for the 2006 season - the same American trade team fellow-Olympian Greg Henderson cycles for.

It will mark a new start for Roulston who made more headlines off the bike this year. He was convicted for disorderly behaviour in October for becoming involved in a brawl outside a Timaru bar.

Roulston was part of American glamour team Discovery Channel this year - his first with the team formerly fronted by Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong - but missed most of the season through injury.

He had an operation in April to remove a recurring cyst and returned home to Ashburton in August before the Timaru incident which led to a court appearance.

Last month he offered his resignation to the Discovery Channel team citing "personal reasons" and was released from the team.

He has since refocused his energies towards riding for his country on the track and his new road team in America.

Roulston - who teamed with Henderson to win silver in the Madison at the 2003 world championship - will be in action for Health Net-Maxxis in February in California.

He will also ride with Christchurch cyclists Hayden Godfrey and Darren Shea in next month's four-day Nelson tour and will compete at the national track championships from January 9-15.

It is in Wanganui for the track event where national coach Terry Gyde will be a spectator.

Roulston is on the long list for Commonwealth Games selection and could be picked for both the track and road.

Gyde said the cyclist had been in touch with him and was "definitely interested in the track" and was "focused and ready to go".

He said Roulston would be "ideal" for the points race with Henderson and national champion Anthony Chapman.

"(Roulston) would be a logical choice," Gyde said.

"He's been a pro roadie and a medallist in the Madison which is basically a two-main points race."

Roulston has also said he had his sights set on the world championships and the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The news this week has not been so good for Peter Latham, who dislocated his shoulder racing at the Oceania track championships this month.

Latham said yesterday he would not race again until late January but was back on his wind trainer.

Gyde said it was disappointing but the cyclist "would lose nothing" in terms of form.

"The problem we'll have is a little bit later on doing his power work and starts because it's going to stress the shoulder," he said.

Latham is in the mix for the Games pursuit team with Henderson.

New Zealand's hopes of improving on its bronze in Manchester in 2002 received a boost this month with the team winning gold at the Manchester leg of the World Cup track series.

Gyde said the win was nice but the New Zealand team still needed to shave seconds off the 4min 8.142sec they clocked in England.

"The reality is we're still going too slow," he said.

At the 2004 world championships in Melbourne two teams qualified with times of 4min 3sec and 4min 6sec, Gyde said.

"We haven't done those times yet. We're not far away and I'm sure we can but the reality is we still haven't done those times. But we're still chasing hard."

The track team will be confirmed after the World Cup's Los Angeles leg, which ends on January 23.

- nzpa