Cycling: Roulston picked for Giro

New Zealand rider Hayden Roulston is relishing the prospect of making his debut in next month's Giro d'Italia.

The double Olympic medallist said although his nine-strong Cervelo team for the first of the year's three major stage races have yet to be revealed, team management told him he would ride the 100th edition of the Giro.

The team will be without their sprinter, Norway's Thor Hushovd, but Roulston said his main role would be to look after team leader Carlos Sastre.

Roulston, 28, told Radio Sport today he had not raced for a month, after injuring his knee in a crash on the Tour of Flanders but was excited by the challenge the Giro posed.

He believed a good performance would put him in the running for the Tour de France later in the year.

Fellow-New Zealander Julian Dean is a doubtful starter for his Garmin-Slipstream team in the Giro after suffering a deep gash to his thigh in a race in Belgium last month.

The Giro d'Italia starts on May 9.

Meanwhile, New Zealand Olympic team pursuit bronze medallists, Sam Bewley and Jesse Sergent, line up tomorrow (NZT) for their first race with Lance Armstrong's Trek-Livestrong team in the Tour of Gila in New Mexico.

Bewley, 21, and Sergent, 20, joined their team in Boulder, Colorado, straight after last month's world track championships in Poland where they also won a team pursuit bronze medal.

"It's a big opportunity and we want to make sure we make the most of it," Sergent said.

The Trek-Livestrong development team was initiated by Armstrong to help develop the next generation of young cyclists.

Bewley and Sergent have spent the last month adjusting to their new life and the opportunities for training at altitude.

Other New Zealanders lining up for the Gila event are Logan Hunn, Aaron Tuckerman, Roman van Uden, Mike Northey and national road time trial champion, Jeremy Vennell.

- NZPA