Kiwi cyclists launch Tour de France dream

Getting into the Tour de France within five years is the ultimate goal of a New Zealand-based professional cycling team launched in Auckland tonight.

Pure Black Racing intend to make their competitive debut in the Tour of Southland in November before joining the United States Continental Tour next year.

The venture is led by former Olympic and America's Cup sailor Carl Williams and has grown out of Team Bici Vida.

Bici Vida, with a core of under-23 riders, had their first start in last year's Southland tour, coming second in the teams category and third in individual general classification through Tom Findlay.

Williams, who won the Star class world championship with Hamish Pepper in 2006, said he got hooked on cycling while training for sailing and he believed the time was right for a New Zealand team to compete at the sport's highest level.

"Cycling is the fastest growing sport in New Zealand and we have more cycling world champions than we have in any other sport," he said.

"It's a perfect time to establish what we hope will be an iconic Kiwi sports brand."

He wanted to see Pure Black Racing competing in Europe against the world's premiere cycling teams and to be part of the Tour de France by 2015.

Business director Greg Cross said announcements concerning sponsorship, team members and team kit would be made over coming months.

He said the intention was to employ New Zealand riders.

"Our objective is to do this with New Zealand talent, to take a team of New Zealand riders all the way through," he said.

"We believe we have the talent here to do that and I guess part of the goal is to prove that."

Cross declined to say what the cost of getting the venture off the ground was, but acknowledged there would be challenges on the road to a Tour de France.

"Ultimately, to be successful we need the support of not only the New Zealand people, but Kiwi businesses as well," he said.

"As an international team, we're looking to partner with the New Zealand export community as we take a highly visible Kiwi team to the world."

- NZPA