Cycling: One in, one out for Kiwi riders

Sam Bewley has had his RadioShack contract severed. Photo / Getty Images

The pedalling gods gave with one hand and took with the other for Kiwi professional cyclists Hayden Roulston and Sam Bewley last week.

On Thursday, the news broke that double Olympic medallist Roulston had been given a contractual lifeline, recruited to RadioShack-Nissan-Trek for next season. It is a merger of the RadioShack and Leopard Trek teams. His previous team HTC Highroad folded, leaving him unemployed. Roulston now has a prestigious job working for the likes of Fabian Cancellara and the Schleck brothers, Andy and Frank, while occasionally exercising a clause which allows him to pursue further Games track medals in London next year.

At the same time Bewley - a fellow Olympic team pursuit bronze medallist and teammate of Roulston for this week's Tour of Southland - has had his RadioShack contract severed. The 24-year-old felt the force of the sport at its most ruthless but, ironically, will be helping Roulston to win this week.

Bewley appears to have accepted the decision without rancour, coming home from his base in Girona, Spain and splashing out on Rugby World Cup final tickets, bought from a disconsolate English fan. A batch of Grandma's pikelets and a night dominating the pool table at his local RSA also helped ease the pain.

Another driver of the trip has helped, too. Over the last three weeks Bewley has been to an Olympic team pursuit squad camp of 12 riders in Invercargill and will ride his sixth Tour of Southland for the Calder Stewart team this week.

"I can't speak about the [RadioShack] decision too much," Bewley says. "I haven't re-signed but in the next few weeks hopefully a contract will sort itself [elsewhere]. I've got a guy in Belgium who sorts those things for me. He's pretty much the best in the business so I trust him. I'm confident things will be sweet although it's stressful with sponsors pulling out [of world cycling] and teams merging which can leave you in the lurch.

"I can't say enough about RadioShack. I enjoyed my two years. They offered me the opportunity to become professional so I feel a great deal for them.

"I was dealing with guys who have been involved anywhere between 15-30 years in the sport and learnt so much. Everyone wants to be a professional but not everyone can be. Numbers are limited and if you're sponsored by a team, they often want a certain percentage of riders in their home country's colours. It makes it hard for Kiwi guys like me trying to break through in Europe, but that's life."

Bewley has other matters on his mind this week, like helping Roulston to a fifth Tour of Southland and combating the infamous wind.

"Roly will be going for it and has a team around him he can trust. I'll concentrate on helping him first. I don't have too many goals - a stage win would be good. I've purchased some waterproof gloves for the occasion. They'll stand me in good stead. That's what makes the tour: there's always shit weather. If it was 30 degrees and no wind every day, it'd probably be boring because it's so flat. The wind, cold and snow make that tour.

"It's one of those races good overseas riders enter but seldom win. You have to know where to position yourself from elements like crosswinds where local knowledge is crucial."

Bewley has not given up on a long held dream to ride the Tour de France from 2013 but his RadioShack exit has brought the Olympics into sharper focus.

"Hopefully I'll be around in the [main European] peloton another 10 years. At this stage I'm keen to be part of the team pursuit next year to carry on a legacy from Beijing and secure another medal. After that I'll re-evaluate my goals and develop into a fulltime road professional."

Two New Zealand pursuit teams will contest the Oceania track cycling championships from November 21-24. There will be an A team- including Roulston and Bewley - and a B team. The selectors will pick the best pursuit riders to head to Colombia for a World Cup event in early December.