Cycling: Sixth place gives cyclist a solid Olympic chance

SYDNEY - Auckland road specialist Jacinta Coleman enhanced her Olympic Games selection prospects with a sixth in the gruelling Tour de Snowy women's cycling classic, which finished in Victoria's Snowy Mountains on Thursday.

In a quality international field, Coleman finished the six-day tour nine minutes behind Canadian winner Geneveive Jeanson. Her team-mate, Rosalind Reekie-May was eighth, a further 1m 08s back.

Coleman, a self-confessed hill-hater, placed fourth in the Queen of the Mountain section.

"We had heinous conditions," she said. "We started in four degrees and it poured with rain the entire stage. It was revolting.

"The team had a good ride on the hardest stage, which had a 13km climb to finish. Some girls walked up it, but Rosalind was seventh and I was eighth so that was definitely a highlight."

The hard work may pay off for the 25-year-old Aucklander.

Another good performance in the opening round of the women's World Cup in Canberra tomorrow would place her firmly in the New Zealand selectors' minds when they come to name the three-woman road team for the games in September.

Coleman acknowledges American-based Susy Pryde is a certainty for the team.

"She's definitely No 1 so it's a matter of picking a team of two others that will be able to work for her."

Recently engaged to an Australian, Coleman opted to train across the Tasman this summer.

Pryde is riding for her professional US team Saturn, in Australia.

The New Zealand team that rode the Tour de Snowy will have one change for Canberra. Coleman, Reekie-May, Vanessa Cheatley and Annalissa Farrell stay, but Kirsty Robb will replace Sarah Ulmer.

Coleman will leave on Monday to begin the European season. She has signed a one-year contract with German professional team Nurnberger after having raced for a Swiss team last year.

- NZPA