Cycling: Road to greatness

Sarah Ulmer's road racing is part of the build-up to next year's Commonwealth Games.

When Sarah Ulmer announced her switch from track to road in April she downplayed expectations, but her current form has national coaches predicting more precious metal, sooner rather than later.

Following some excellent results this European summer, including ninth in the gruelling women's Giro d'Italia, Ulmer, the Olympic individual pursuit champion and world-record holder, is being considered for both the time trial and the road race at the world championships at Madrid next month.

"If Sarah's [form] keeps going the way it is... we should be expecting a podium finish at the worlds and definitely a podium at the Commonwealth Games," BikeNZ road coach Jacques Landry, who runs the European base at Limoux, said.

Both the time-trial courses at Madrid and Melbourne should suit Ulmer's style, as they were flat power courses with few climbs so she could spend long periods of time in an aerodynamic position.

"Her focus is the time trial at the world's and obviously a support role in the road race, also at Madrid," Landry said. "This is all leading up to the Commonwealth Games."

Ulmer and her coach and partner Brendon Cameron indicated recently they would like to race at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne next year after Ulmer was initially cautious about aiming too high, too early after her switch. The team will be selected in January.

"There's no question she will on current form but she wants to concentrate on this year's worlds," national high performance manager Mike Flynn said.

When she switched, Ulmer indicated that the Commonwealth Games was little more than a pipe dream but now she will line up as one of the favourites.

"Most people would expect Sarah to perform well whenever because she is such a professional, but her results and her training have been going excellently," Flynn said.

Ulmer and Melissa Holt finished third in a two-up time trial in Germany last week in a result that has BikeNZ coaches excited.

They finished just 40 seconds behind the winners, the German pairing of Trixi Worrack and world time-trial champion Judith Arndt.

Ulmer also impressed in the women's Giro d'Italia, finishing ninth overall and figuring highly in the mountain classification, not her strong point.

"She has talent, nobody doubts that," Landry said. "The Giro was her last long phase before the worlds. She was using it for training and when you do stuff for training you focus on what you need to be working on. Now she's into a specific intensity phase for the time trial."

The world junior road championships have just started after a successful showing from New Zealand at the junior track champs in Vienna, where the highlight was gold in the men's pursuit. Sam Bewley and Rushlee Buchanan picked up silver in the individual pursuit and women's points race respectively.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY