Cycling: Roulston star attraction for cycling festival

Hayden Roulston

Fresh from winning the national road title, Ashburton rider Hayden Roulston is a confirmed entry for December's cycling festival in Christchurch.

The two-day event on December 2-3, will feature a 75km road ride around the Lyttelton Harbour bays on the first day and an inner-city criterium that will double as the New Zealand championship on the second.

Close to 2000 riders, both elite and recreational, are expected.

On recent form, Roulston who won the national title last weekend at Palmerston, near Dunedin, will be the early favourite to win on both days.

Roulston, silver medallist in the Melbourne Commonwealth Games scratch race announced his retirement in August after being diagnosed with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia, a heart condition that doctors said could kill him if he continued with the extreme stresses of top level sport.

However, he turned to alternative treatment and a month later won a Christchurch race, following that up with his win at the nationals.

His tussle with Commonwealth Games time-trial bronze medallist Gordon McCauley should be a feature of the festival.

Last year's New Zealand criterium title was won by Hayden Godfrey of Christchurch with Waikato's Tim Gudsell second and Aucklander McCauley third.

- NZPA