Cycling: NZ champs attract talent

Jack Bauer. Photo / NZPA.

A world class field will assemble next month for the New Zealand road cycling championships at Christchurch.

More than 100 riders will line up, including all the major team professionals in arguably the strongest field in the event's 77-year history.

It will again be held on the demanding circuit up the Cashmere hills, with the week including the time trials near Lincoln on January 7, the women's road race over 123km on January 8 and elite and under-23 men over 187km on January 9.

Winners of five road titles are included in the men's field led by defending champion Jack Bauer (Wellington) who rides for the Endura Racing pro team in Great Britain, 2006 winner and Christchurch rider Hayden Roulston (HTC Columbia) and 2007 and 2008 champion from Rotorua, Julian Dean (Garmin Transitions).

They will be joined by Team Sky pro team rider Greg Henderson and the Radioshack pair of Sam Bewley (Rotorua) and Jesse Sergent (Feilding).

US-based Team Bissell provide Jeremy Vennell (Hawkes Bay) and under-23 rider Patrick Bevin (Taupo), the Subway Avanti trade team will be headed by former world omnium champion Hayden Godfrey (Christchurch) and Peter Latham (Te Awamutu), while the race will see the debut of the Pure Black Racing team including former Francais de Jeux pro Tim Gudsell (Te Awamutu) and Glen Chawick.

National series champion Jeremy Yates (Hawkes Bay) will also be a strong candidate, using the race in his build-up to a return to professional racing in Europe next year.

The women's field includes defending champion Rushlee Buchanan (Te Awamutu); her fellow Colavita-Baci US-based teammate Cath Cheatley (Wanganui), a two-time winner; and 2003 champion from Christchurch, Joanne Kiesanowski (Team Tibco).

Other prominent riders include world track championship medallist Lauren Ellis (Ashburton), fellow Commonwealth Games riders Gemma Dudley (Levin) and Kaytee Boyd (Waiuku), the national criterium champion, mountain bike ace Rosara Joseph (Christchurch), and national series road champion Serena Sheridan (Hawkes Bay).

Promoter Simon Hollander said it was a stronger field than last year's event on the same course in Christchurch.

"Our riders are now absolute world class with five pro team riders and most of the rest of the field with professional experience in Europe or USA," he said.

"And then you add the trade teams, especially the addition of the new Pure Black team and the competition is incredible.

"We know that the national champion's jersey is sought after by all the professionals. They get to wear it in the major races around the world. It brings kudos to both the rider and our country, as we saw when Julian Dean rode with it in the Tour de France.

"This year's race saw Bauer, Roulston and Dean separated by a wheel. January's race is going to be a barn-stormer."

- NZPA