Cycling: Roulston's exit a great loss, says coach

Hayden Roulston celebrates a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in March. Picture / John Borren

The sudden end to Hayden Roulston's career is a devastating blow for him and cycling, national track coach Terry Gyde says.

Roulston, who won a silver medal in the Melbourne Commonwealth Games point race, was this week told by a specialist he had a life-threatening heart condition and was advised to stop cycling.

The 25-year-old Ashburton rider has arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD), which leaves him sometimes short of breath when resting.

It can have fatal consequences for sufferers when under stress.

Gyde told NZPA today he had spoken to Roulston briefly yesterday.

"At the moment, everyone is in a state of shock -- I think we need time to collect ourselves and go through the facts.

"I'm not too sure how he's thinking at the moment -- he's totally shocked he can't even ride a bike, let alone compete.

"It is absolutely devastating for the guy -- his career has been prematurely ended eight to 10 years before it probably would have.

"He's probably one of the most respected riders around the world -- many teams around the world have been trying to get his signature on a contract.

"He's a great guy and has so much ability but unfortunately we are not going to see the best of Hayden Roulston."

Gyde said Roulston's exit was a great loss to the sport and would impact on cycling's 2008 Beijing Olympics programme.

Roulston and Greg Henderson, winners of the madison silver medal at the 2003 world championships were the first choice pairing for the event at the Beijing Olympics.

"Clearly, they are one of the best madison combinations in the world ... that was what they were going to do for Beijing.

"From that perspective, it's devastating that we have lost one of the combinations were intending to use at the Olympics."

It was too early to tell who would pair with Henderson for the madison.

Pursuiters Peter Latham, Tim Gudsell and Richard Bowker had been tried -- Gudsell looked likeliest at this stage -- but it could affect the balance of the pursuit team, which was looking pretty solid.

"The madison and points race are events you have to train specifically for and if we use Gudsell in the team pursuit, it is not going to work."

Gyde said one option was Rotorua's Sam Bewley, a member of last year's world junior champion pursuit team.

"Sam is very similar to Roulston -- he is very tall, big and strong guy that loves pedalling small gears. He may well be the sort of guy we put in with Greg."

Roulston's career highlights include a 2002 Commonwealth Games bronze medal in the teams pursuit and riding with professional teams Cofidis and Discovery Channel in Europe and America.

Gyde said Cycling NZ would be keen to keep Roulston in the sport.

"Roulston coaches Ashburton rider Lauren Ellis who won a 2000m individual pursuit silver medal at the recent world junior championships in Belgium and I'm sure we will want him to continue coaching," Gyde said.

"He brings the same passion to coaching as he did to his riding."

Roulston told the Ashburton Guardian today he knew his career would come to an end sometime but for it to happen so early "literally breaks my heart".

"I'm in shock and it still hasn't really hit me yet."

Roulston said he had been lucky to have experienced what he had, "but still in saying that, I would much rather be out training right now, focusing on the last few goals that I had."

While he faced a very testing time, Roulston said he had the right people around him to help him through it.

"I just want to thank the whole of Ashburton who have supported me throughout my career, through both good and bad.

"I want to thank my family who have been with me all of the way. Without them I would have achieved nothing," he said.

Roulston's immediate thoughts are to stay with cycling, believing he will look at coaching avenues.

- NZPA