Cycling: Ulmer, Roulston in hospital as road hopes punctured

Sarah Ulmer and Hayden Roulston.

MELBOURNE - A debilitating virus has forced Hayden Roulston to withdraw from the men's Commonwealth Games cycling road race while Sarah Ulmer's back problem continues to confound medical experts.

New Zealand's jinxed cycling squad's wretched Games' ordeal entered yet another dimension today when Roulston, the points race silver medallist, was officially ruled out of Sunday's race before undergoing a barrage of blood tests at a Melbourne hospital.

Roulston has been laid low by similar viral complaints in recent years and is expected to head home to Ashburton later this week.

"We've known he's been preparing under a bit of sufferance, this is the third time he's had this complaint," BikeNZ high performance director Michael Flynn told NZPA.

"Hayden was crook before he left New Zealand for the Tour of California (last month) and he was sick again when he came into camp. All the travelling hasn't helped.

"Sometimes they (cyclists) work through it but he's not getting any better. When he lays himself on the line it affects him worst."

Roulston's gutsy points race ride on Friday was the catalyst for the energy-sapping virus to return and he has lethargic and unable to train since.

"It lays him flat, he struggled to get out of bed for three days," Flynn said.

Roulston was designated to spearhead New Zealand's challenge with Greg Henderson, who now appears New Zealand's only viable medal option.

Logan Hutchings, 12th in yesterday's time trial, has been promoted and will carry out a support role with Glen Mitchell, Peter Latham, Robin Reid and yesterday's time trial bronze medallist Gordon McCauley.

Ulmer, a leading hope in yesterday's road time trial before she pulled out after the warm-up, was also in hospital briefly today for an MRI scan on her lower back.

"Later on I'll check with the 43 doctors and see if we've got anyone left," said Flynn, as he reflected on a campaign that has gone from bad to worse.

However, there was promising news from Lysterfield where the mountainbikers had a final training ride on the 6.4km circuit today ahead of tomorrow's men's and women's races -- no one fell ill or fell off.

- NZPA