Roulston leads New Zealand’s worlds roster

Cervelo Test Team’s Hayden Roulston will spearhead New Zealand’s squad for this month’s International Cycling Union (UCI) World Road Championships in Switzerland. Top New Zealand cyclists Julian Dean and Greg Henderson won’t be part of the squad, with the hilly Mendrisio course not suited to their sprinting abilities.

Roulston will be joined by United States of America-based Jeremy Vennell and Francais de Jeux rider Tim Gudsell. Vennell will be the nation’s solo representative in the elite men’s time trial.

“This is another really tough circuit for the world championships, not dissimilar to the hilly course in Stuttgart in 2007,” said BikeNZ High Performance Director Mark Elliott. “We have great quality in our teams, especially the women, but it is a very tough assignment for them in this type of terrain against the best professionals in the world racing in their own backyard.

“We have some strong riders, many of whom have been racing well this season in key support roles for professional teams,” he added.

The women’s team will be led by Catherine Cheatley, who has enjoyed an excellent season for her Colavita Sutter Home. Auckland’s Kaytee Boyd, a former mountain biker and track rider, and Wellington’s Rachel Mercer will join Cheatley, as Beijing Olympian Jo Kiesanowski skips the event to focus on track preparation.

New Zealand’s UCI World Road Championships squad:
Elite men
Road race: Hayden Roulston, Jeremy Vennell and Tim Gudsell.
Time trial: Jeremy Vennell.

Elite women
Road race: Catherine Cheatley, Kaytee Boyd and Rachel Mercer.

Under-23 men
Road race: Sam Bewley, Alex Meenhorst and Clinton Avery.
Time trial: Jesse Sergent and Wes Gough.