Cycling: Henderson aims for champion's jersey

Greg Henderson. Photo / Getty Images

New Zealand Pro Tour cyclist Greg Henderson would like nothing more than to wear the New Zealand champion's jersey to success in the grand tours of Europe this year.

The British Team Sky sprinter is heading across the Tasman this week from his home in Melbourne to take on a stellar field in the New Zealand road championships in Christchurch which begin on Friday.

The winner will wear the national jersey of their country in all major road races around the world and Henderson said it was incentive enough to make the trip.

"Like I said to my wife, 'I can't win it sitting back here in my home in Melbourne'," Henderson said.

"It would be lovely to win. There's not a lot of us on the Pro Tour and so to have the jersey on the Pro Tour would help put us on the map.

"Mind you it is going to be a hard jersey to win."

Henderson will compete against fellow Pro Tour riders Julian Dean (Garman Transitions), Hayden Roulston (HTC Columbia), Sam Bewley and Jesse Sergent (both Radio Shack) as well as a host of other professionals including defending champion Jack Bauer, national series champion Jeremy Yates and former FDJ professional Tim Gudsell, now with the new Pure Black team.

Henderson developed strongly last year - he chalked up six victories for Team Sky including the Tour Downunder criterium, the opening stage of the prestigious Paris-Nice race and a stage of the Tour of Britain where he won the overall sprint classification.

"It was a superb year and testament that the move from HTC Colombia to Team Sky was a good career move for me.

"To take on the pressure myself and take on the captaincy was a big responsibility but I really enjoyed it and thrived on it."

The 34-year-old believes the involvement of trade teams such as Subway Avanti and Pure Black will make things tougher for individual riders.

"If they ride well and clever as a team it should be very hard to beat them. Then again cycling can be a funny old sport."

The race will again be run over a tough course up the Cashmere Hills, with the men completing 13 laps (186km) of the circuit from Pioneer Stadium on Sunday and the women eight laps (123km) on Saturday.

Henderson will also compete in the time trial at Lincoln University on Friday.

After the nationals, he heads to Adelaide and the Tour Down Under which begins the following weekend, with Dean and Roulston also set to compete.

"My goals are to have a big crack at Tour Down Under, the Tour de France, Tour of Spain and the world championships.

"And I would love to race the Olympics in London."

- NZPA