Cycling: Ulmer has a role to play

Sarah Ulmer will ride a supporting role for the women's road team today if it becomes obvious her back injury will prevent her winning.

High performance manager Mike Flynn said yesterday that Ulmer could serve the team "in lots of ways" and that won't necessarily mean it will be her standing on the podium.

Ulmer's partcipation in this morning's road race through Melbourne's Botanic Gardens had been in doubt all week after an old back injury flared up and caused her to miss Tuesday's time trial.

Flynn and women's coach Suzy Pryde monitored her work in the intervening days.

"We said to her, 'give us a number between zero and 100 as to where you're at'. She gave us that number and we said 'right, you're in'," Flynn said. "In real terms she's nowhere near 100 [per cent] but it's given a real boost to the rest of the girls and she'll do what's required to give somebody in the team a result - all the other girls will too."

Flynn said despite the talking down of Ulmer's chances, she would still be a marked woman.

If Ulmer hasn't got the work in her legs to be a factor in the finish, the spotlight would most likely fall on Switzerland-bound rider Joanne Kiesanowski and Melissa Holt.

Points race silver medallist Hayden Roulston was forced out of the road race with a viral infection earlier in the week, otherwise Flynn said everyone was fit and ready to go after reconnaissance on the course yesterday.

"Unless somebody gets run over on the way to the course," Flynn joked, "and I wouldn't put it past us with our luck."

Another rider searching for a change of luck is scratch race world champion Greg Henderson. He failed in the points race and scratch race after finding his path blocked by the combined efforts of the British riders.

"I would describe Hendo as an angry little man," Flynn said.

-HERALD ON SUNDAY