Cycling: Ulmer swaps bike to turn coach

Sarah Ulmer

The shoe will be on the other foot, or pedal, on Saturday when cycling queen Sarah Ulmer turns coach and her coach, Brendon Cameron, gets back on the bike for a criterium race through the streets of Cambridge.

The race, featuring some of the country's top riders, is the second in a three-race series being promoted by Ulmer's brother Peter.

The first was in Auckland last weekend and the last race is on the North Shore.

In Cambridge, racing will take place over a 1200m course through the town's CBD, offering spectators plenty of vantage points.

Ulmer, who has not resumed training since powering to gold in the 3000m individual pursuit at the Athens Olympics, said she might hop on a bike if a children's race -- which had yet to be finalised -- was held.

She was relishing Cameron doing the riding for a change. "I've got a lot of revenge to get through," she said. "It'll be his first race for a while and it will be good to be the one waving the watch at him instead of the other way around."

She said the race was coming to Cambridge because of the awareness of cycling there and her brother's desire to take the series to more centres outside Auckland.

"Hopefully it will be really well supported. The Waipa council has played a huge part. They've been really supportive and great to work with.

"It's where I live as well, and I'm helping Pete out. "It's a bike festival, really."

Among the elite riders will be Hayden Godfrey, Meshy Holt and Gordon Macauley, although local heroes Tim Gudsell and Peter Latham will miss the race as they are in Los Angeles competing in the World Cup series.

A-grade riders will race for about 35 laps and Ulmer said the Cambridge course would be "fast and furious".

"It'll be great for spectators."

Racing on Saturday starts at 2pm and continues until 6pm, and includes sprints up the main street.

- NZPA