Cycling: Buzz builds for Kiwi rider in Tour de France

By TERRY MADDAFORD

The 16th stage of the Tour de France is more than 2 1/2 weeks away but it is already playing on Julian Dean's mind.

Dean, the only New Zealander in this year's race and just the seventh to line up since Harry Watson rode as part of an Australasian team in 1928, admitted from his team's base in Belgium this week that he was a "little bit worried" about the July 21 stage.

At 15.5km, the 16th stage is the shortest of the 20 in the race proper - only tomorrow's 6km prologue in the Belgium city of Liege is shorter - but as an individual time trial from Bourg d'Oisans to the top of the feared L'Alpe d'Huez, there is plenty to be nervous about.

"It will be all over in 35 to 40 minutes," said Dean. "But there are a lot of riders who will be mindful of making the time cut."

All riders must record a time within 20 per cent of the winner. If the stage winner - and that could be tour favourite and renowned time triallist Lance Armstrong - records 35min all riders must finish within seven minutes or be eliminated.

"I could lose 45 seconds a kilometre," said Dean. "That would make it touch and go. But I'm not alone in this. Plenty of others will be feeling the same way."

It would be a cruel way for Dean to see his race ended as the climb to L'Alpe d'Huez - traditionally one of the hillclimb finishes - is followed by the last four stages of the race.

"It would better if the time trials were earlier in the race."

The second individual time trial, a circular 55km in Besancon, is the penultimate stage by which time legs will be shrieking for relief.

"We see our best chance of a result [winning a stage] coming early," said Dean, who won his place in the nine-man Credit Agricole team (each team has a 21-strong roster) on the back of a good ride in last month's Tour of Switzerland.

"We are not a team seen as favourites in the sprints so we might be able to spring a surprise."

Dean's role is primarily to bury himself in the peloton for all but the last few kilometres when he will start working for team sprinter Norwegian Thor Hushovd.

Dean agreed that about 85 per cent of the riders in the race remain pretty much anonymous - domestiques beavering away for the good of the team, in particular the team leader.

"You won't see much of me in 30 minutes of highlights," said Dean. "But that is all part of pro cycling, it goes turn and turn about."

A late call-up after missing valuable racing and training kilometres following his crash in May's Tour de Dunkerque when he broke both elbows, Dean is determined to make the most of his opportunity.

"It's a bonus. I'm going to make the most of it. Because of what I have missed, I definitely have freshness on my side.

And the chance of a stage win?

"I've trained myself into good form and if the opportunity arose there is nothing to stop me having a go. In races like this, you have to be prepared to improvise, especially in the second half of the tour."

Dean is under no illusions.

He knows it will be tough but he has, like every other rider who gets to start, set himself the goal of riding into Paris on the last day.

"There are 11 stages before the big hill stages. I have to get through those first. I'm climbing well. In the Tour of Switzerland I feel I did some of my best climbing ever. I have taken some confidence from that."

Now, on the eve of the biggest challenge of his seven years as a professional, Dean is ready to ride in a race he said said fascinated him as a youngster.

"But it is only in the last couple of years I set my sights on riding it."

After riding for US Postal in his early days as a pro - he had three years with them but was not given a start in "Le Tour" as they wanted riders who they felt could help Armstrong win (which he did for the first time in 1999) - he moved on.

In between times he has lined up in two Olympics (on the track in Atlanta and the road in Sydney) after riding the track at the 1994 Victoria Commonwealth Games.

Within days of the finish, he will be off to Athens as New Zealand's top Olympic road race hope.

"The buzz is building up. It is a long three weeks but you definitely know it's something special."

Julian Dean

Born: January 28, 1975, Waihi.

School: Waihi College.

Represented NZ: 1994 Commonwealth Games; 1996, 2000 Olympics. Selected for 2004 Olympics.

Turned pro: 1998.

Pro teams: US Postal, Team CSC, Credit Agricole.

New Zealanders on the Tour

Harry Watson: 1928, 28th.

Tino Tabak: 1971, did not finish; 1972, dnf; 1973, dnf; 1976, dnf.

Paul Jesson: 1979, dnf.

Eric Mackenzie: 1982, 87th; 1983, dnf; 1985, 127th; 1986, dnf.

Stephen Swart: 1987, dnf; 1994, 118th; 1995, 110th.

Nathan Dahlberg: 1988, 144th; 1989, dnf.

Chris Jenner: 2001, 138th.