Cycling: No word from Ulmer on future plans

By CHRIS BARCLAY

ATHENS - When Sarah Ulmer was asked what she can still achieve in track cycling, her noncommittal response probably sent ripples of fear through BikeNZ.

At 28, Ulmer has the boxed set: the Olympic, world and Commonwealth individual pursuit titles. Plus the world record.

Inside a sweltering Olympic Velodrome last week she set a new standard in women's pursuit riding, lowering her own world mark by an incredible six seconds.

Her new benchmark of 3 minutes 24.537 seconds, timed when beating Australian mate Katie Mactier in the gold medal ride, may never be challenged by the Aucklander, or anyone else for that matter.

In the afterglow of the crowning moment of her career, and New Zealand's cycling maiden gold medal, Ulmer was understandably reticent about setting in stone any plans for 2005.

The defence of her world title in Los Angeles and the Melbourne Commonwealth Games in March 2006, were simply too far off to contemplate.

BikeNZ high performance manager Warren Lister was hoping against hope she would continue with cycling.

"I haven't had any indication that she's not planning to stay in the sport," Lister said.

"I'd say she's going to be there."

Lister said the importance of Ulmer as the public face of cycling could not be understated in terms of attracting the next generation to the sport.

"She's great for the team and great for the country.

"I hope kids will be inspired and their parents will get excited about cycling."

"She's great for the team and great for the country."

Should Ulmer devote her boundless energy to other pursuits, Lister said he was comfortable that another legion of track cyclists were maturing to eventually fill what would be a massive void.

"I think there'll be another tier plus hopefully an opportunity for other people," Lister said.

"There's people coming from behind -- that's how Sarah got there too. You've got to start somewhere and move up."

Lister pointed out that a young New Zealand track team performed creditably at the junior world track championships in Carson, California last month.

There Paddy Walker was fourth in the women's individual pursuit and Adam Coker was fourth in the scratch race.

Bridgette Broad, Matthew Haydock and Josh England also recorded top 10 finishes.

New Zealand eventually had 17 riders competing in Athens -- after Anthony Peden withdrew after taking a banned substance -- with Ulmer, emerging head and shoulders above her team-mates.

"Everyone put out a lot here," Lister said at the end of the men's cross country mountain bike race today.

"You've got a huge champion like Sarah ... but everyone of these people is a champion in my eyes."

Greg Henderson, the Commonwealth points race champion, had to swallow an agonising fourth in the Olympic event, though he was a fair distance from the bronze.

Henderson and Hayden Roulston were seventh in the madison, while Ulmer finished sixth in the points race.

The team pursuit quartet finished 10th and last in qualifying.

Julian Dean and Joanne Kiesanowski both produced fighting efforts in their road races, standing tall while their team-mates crumbled in the shadow of the Acropolis.

Dean, "fresh" from the Tour de France, was 15th and the only New Zealander to finish after Heath Blackgrove, Jeremy Yates and Robin Reid pulled up en route.

Kiesanowski was in the chase bunch behind the leaders, finishing 17th. The inexperienced Michelle Hyland also showed her fortitude by refusing to pull out despite being dropped off the bunch by halfway.

She was last across the line, and was ready to quit but didn't want to let her watching parents down.

As expected mountain bikers Robyn Wong (16th) and Kashi Leuchs (28) were not among the contenders in their races.

Overall, the New Zealand cycling team can return home -- or to their far flung professional teams -- with some satisfaction.

The only shock came two days before the track programme started when Australian-born keirin rider Peden pulled out because a banned substance prescribed by a German doctor would still have been in his system had he been tested.

BikeNZ are investigating how Peden could be so "naive" not to seek medical advice from the organisation's medical staff.

- NZPA