KEY POINTS:
The New Zealand cycling team for the upcoming world track championships in Palma, Spain, will have Otago's Greg Henderson after all.
Henderson, currently racing with top German road team T-Mobile, was originally left out of the national team as it was thought he would be unavailable due to his team commitments.
Following negotiations with T-Mobile, Henderson will ride for New Zealand in the scratch race in Spain which he won in 2004 in Sydney and was runner-up in 2005 in Los Angeles.
He will also re-unite with Ashburton's Hayden Roulston for the madison in which they won silver at the 2003 world championships.
"(National track coach) Terry Gyde has been negotiating with Greg and his T-mobile team to make him available for the worlds," BikeNZ high performance director Michael Flynn told NZPA today.
"Greg was really keen (to ride at the world championships) and because of his performances so far, not only individually, but also for the team, they (T-Mobile) were reasonably happy for that to occur.
"So at this stage, it looks as if Hendy will ride on the road until March 28 and then come across to race in the scratch and the madison."
The world championships run March 29 to April 1.
Flynn said Henderson would be able to switch from road racing to track at short notice,
"It'll be difficult -- he's been racing on the road and has some good form ... he's got some tough races to come (but) he's a very determined young man and I think if anyone can come over and (adapt) quickly from the road to the track, he can."
Flynn thought T-Mobile would be happy with Henderson's performances so far -- the Dunedin rider almost snatched a stage win in the Tour of California two weeks ago.
"It's just a matter of maintaining his health and form not trying to kill himself every day of every week of every month for the whole year -- he's got to make sure that he's racing to a plan which I'm sure he has," said Flynn, who leaves BikeNZ at the end of the month to take up a development position with the International Cycling Union (UCI).
New Zealand world track championships squad: Tim Gudsell, Pete Latham, Greg Henderson, Hayden Roulston, Marc Ryan, Westley Gough, Sam Bewley, Jesse Sergent, Catherine Cheatley and Ali Shanks.
- NZPA
