Cycling: Pedalling hard for Athens

New Zealand coach Garry Bell reckons New Zealand cyclists have been given the best opportunity in his long experience with the sport.

The nation's leading female cyclists leave today for a 10-week stint competing and living together as a team at a training centre in France in a bid to win medals at the Athens Olympics and Melbourne Commonwealth Games.

It is part of an initiative announced yesterday by Bike New Zealand, the new umbrella body embracing all national cycling organisations in New Zealand.

Bell should know. The Waikato coach has been involved with cycling in New Zealand for 30 years, as a competitor and now coach.

"This is the whole package. We have a base in France with all the support networks we need. We will be living, training and racing together as a New Zealand team - that's a first. And we have all our equipment and bikes supplied by Avanti," Bell said.

The aim is to finish in the top 16 nations to qualify a maximum three riders for the Athens Olympics. They will compete in five World Cup events starting with Geelong near Melbourne next week, and other major events in Europe to chase points.

New Zealand's leading six female riders have been recruited to the squad for Europe. They are Melissa Holt, ranked 57 in the world, Kirsty Robb (77), Commonwealth Games double gold medallist Sarah Ulmer (90), Ros Reekie-May, Jo Keisanowski and Suzy Pryde.

Pryde will miss the Australian races but hopes to recover from a leg injury in time to join the squad in Europe, while Christchurch's Johanna Buick, who will compete in Australia, is unavailable for the European tour.

BikeNZ recently restructured its high-performance programme, employing Warren Lister as director.

With significant support from Sparc and the Academy of Sport, BikeNZ also named Canadian Kurt Innes as national track team coach, based in Wanganui, and Jacques Landry, who will be based at the overseas training centre.

Bell said the goal was to gain a world ranking in the top 16 by the end of April, the cutoff date for qualification for Athens.

Teams for Geelong

A Team: Sarah Ulmer (Auckland), Melissa Holt (Auckland), Rosalind Reekie-May (Morrinsville), Johanna Buick (Christchurch), Jo Keisanowski (Christchurch) Coach: Gary Bell (Auckland).

B Team: Kirsty Robb (Rotorua), Nadene Boyle (Wellington), Michelle Keisanowski (Christchurch), Toni Bradshaw (Auckland), Michelle Hyland (Hamilton), Susie Wood (Wellington). Coach: Kirsty Fleming (Dunedin).