Cycling: Officials find a fresh make-or-break challenge

Julian Dean says he will use the tour for training.

The climb to the wind turbine on the top of Hawkins Hill was often the pivotal stage in the Tour of Wellington.

The gut-wrenching slog is no longer part of the race but race director Jorge Sandoval reckons he has found something even tougher.

The fifth stage of this year's race could be the most decisive, said Sandoval on the eve of the event which starts at 5.30pm today. The 16km climb to the top of Admiral Hill is harder than the climb up Hawkins Hill.

Before that they will have four other climbs on the 125km stage, which starts in Masterton. Last year's race also went up that hill and made a big mess of the field.

The race, in its 19th year, has attracted one of the strongest fields, with the 96 riders split into 16 teams for the 537.8km (seven stages) Wellington-Wairarapa tour.

The Australian challenge is spearheaded by the South Australian team, which includes most of the riders likely to ride the Commonwealth Games.

Led by Olympic and Commonwealth champion Peter Dawson, the team also includes leading contenders Stephen Wooldridge and Miles Olman. Between them, the six-man team have won 12 world championships, two Olympic gold medals and more than 24 Australian titles.

Julian Dean is the highest-rated New Zealander but he will use the race more as a training ride than a flat-out race.

"The race fits in well with my training," Dean said from his Rotorua base yesterday. "It will be new country for me and I'm looking forward to it, but my prime aim is to gain some form.

"I'm just back from the Tour Down Under in Australia. That was quite hot and a strenuous race. I got through okay but it was not a big objective for me."

Dean, a late entry, is in a team with local-based riders but is looking forward to the race he last rode in 1999. He still has screws and plates in his arm from a nasty crash which robbed him of a start in last year's Tour de France - but said the arm was getting better all the time.

Sandoval expects a big effort from the Subway team and from Hayden Roulston in particular.

He has a lot to prove after being in the news for all the wrong reasons, Sandoval said, a reference to Roulston's off-bike scuffles.

Roulston has some renowned riders in his team, including ever-likely Greg Henderson, Hayden Godfrey and rising star Sam Bewley.

The Samsung national team, which includes Gordon McCauley, Tim Gudsell, Peter Latham and Marc Ryan, also shapes as a serious contender in a race which Sandoval expects to be ridden at a cracking pace.

The tour starts with a 45km criterium in Lower Hutt today. The field hits the roads tomorrow, with a 117km stage from Featherston to Masterton in the morning and an evening criterium in Masterton. There will be a single 158.5km stage from Masterton to Pahiatua and return on Friday before the testing stage, which ends up Admiral Hill on Saturday. A 12km individual time trial in Wellington on Sunday will be followed by a final criterium in Petone.