Cycling: Ulmer carries weight of failed expectations

Sarah Ulmer

A soul-searching New Zealand cycling team are praying Sarah Ulmer's actions speak louder than words when she shoulders the responsibility of reviving the sport's flagging campaign today.

Reflecting on a frustrating track programme that anticipated at least one and possibly two gold medals but delivered a silver and bronze, it is clear the onus is again on Ulmer to deliver in the 29km road time trial.

The normally bubbly and ebullient Ulmer has deliberately adopted a low profile since stunning her rivals with a commanding victory in the Wellington leg of the World Cup road circuit earlier this month. She arrived in the Games Village only on Saturday, preferring to complete her preparations in the relative anonymity of her Cambridge base.

However, there will be no escaping the spotlight at St Kilda, where she is one of three New Zealanders - Melissa Holt and Ali Shanks are the others - lining up.

In the men's 40km race, New Zealand are represented by road racer Gordon McCauley, Peter Latham and Logan Hutchings.

Ulmer targeted the time trial last September - a new challenge after her all-conquering individual pursuit track career climaxed at the Athens Olympics - but long-term mentor Terry Gyde tried to curb expectations on the eve of the race.

"Our main goal is the world championships in Austria," Gyde said of Ulmer's quest at Salzburg in September. He also reminded that the start list today would be no push over.

"Sarah's going for it. She'll give it death, but it's an unbelievably strong field ... [Australian] Kathy Watt is a past Olympic champion ... Nicole Cook is strong for England. There's no mugs there."

Australia also field world road No 1 Oenone Wood and Olympic road race champion Sara Carrigan.

Ulmer's task has been made slightly easier by the withdrawal of leading Canadian Lyne Bessette, who dislocated her shoulder a second time when getting dressed yesterday. She initially dislocated her shoulder after crashing during mountainbike training last week and was to fly home after scans.

Meanwhile, Gyde, BikeNZ's track endurance coach, admitted leaving the velodrome without a gold medal was the "biggest kick in the teeth" of his long coaching career.

"I've been reflecting on myself, where did we go wrong?

"I think our planning was good and physiologically they were on fire, but clearly we need more international competition. They need to learn to work as a team."

A lack of teamwork scuttled the prospect of anything better than a bronze in team pursuit after Jason Allen blew up and withdrew with a kilometre to go.

Jo Kiesanowski, whose bronze ambitions were wrecked when she was penalised for a technical infringement in the points race, also suffered from a lack of support in the final sprints.

"Jo's race was the most disappointing," Gyde said. "Losing five points cost her the bronze, but in the last few sprints when she clearly needed help [from Tammy Boyd and Catherine Sell], it wasn't to be."

Gyde said some riders "had let the team down" but their task was made difficult by teams from Great Britain colluding to protect a chosen rider.

Henderson bore the brunt of this tactic in the points race, though Hayden Roulston claimed silver. The scratch race also saw Henderson, a world champion and silver medallist, condemned to a support role for fourth-placed Tim Gudsell.

"At World Cups or a world championships there is only one rider per nation in the points race.

"Here Great Britain control England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man. There was like a puppeteer calling the shots. If one of those nations had a rider get away, they shut the race down.

"If Henderson got in a break they would chase after him, they would blow themselves out of the water to cover him and destroy our chances.

"In the past you've never had a controlling faction, but now Great Britain is lottery funded, their budget is $10 million to $15 million for their track programme so they control all of the nations," Gyde said.

"In the past they've competed against each other but now so much money has been invested into it they will all ride for each other.

"If you're up against 14, your chances of succeeding are bugger all."

The track team's next assignment is the world track championships in France next month, where the team pursuit, David Creswell (1km time trial) and Shanks (individual pursuit) are entered.

- NZPA