Cycling: Roulston back on the bike after operation

Top New Zealand cyclist Hayden Roulston is back on his bike after having a cyst removed which prevented him riding.

Belgium-based Roulston, who rides for the Lance Armstrong's Discovery Channel team in Europe, said he was allowed back on the bike yesterday for the first time in three weeks, and while there was still a lot of pain, he had expected it.

"No matter where I go after three weeks off I'm going to suffer," he said today.

Roulston admitted he was "the worst patient", but was now glad to be back in the saddle.

He was hoping to be back at full training by Sunday, as it was only two weeks until his next big challenge.

The Tour of Catalunya in Spain starts on May 16, and while Roulston said it was a tough race to make a come back from injury in, he was looking forward to getting back into it.

The tour was hard and fast over some mountainous terrain, and it would be a challenge.

After Spain, he is off to America for more racing, before heading into the Tour of Switzerland.

He would now be doing some "serious panic training" because the team would only allow him to ride if they were comfortable he was back at 100 per cent.

It has been a tough year so far for the 24-year-old, who fell ill in his first race with the Discovery Channel team during Malaysia's Tour of Langkawi and then the recurrence of the cyst.

And yesterday Roulston failed in his bid to overturn his conviction on two assault charges arising from "drunk and obnoxious" behaviour while celebrating his selection for last year's Athens Olympics.

Roulston hoped that was the end of his worries for the season. The Discovery Channel team has been 100 per cent behind him and he was staying positive because the season was long and there was plenty of racing to come.

- nzpa