Roulston retires for health reasons

Health Net rider Hayden Roulston is quitting cycling because of a heart condition, according to reports in the New Zealand media. The 25-year-old has arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD), which leaves him sometimes short of breath when resting, according to the New Zealand Herald. The condition can be fatal for sufferers under stress.

"This is the worst news anyone could ever get," Roulston told One News. "Being told they can't do what they love, especially for me. It's all I know."

Roulston said he hoped to stay in cycling, and was considering a career in coaching, but his dream or representing New Zealand at the 2008 Olympics was shattered. "All I wanted to do was go through to Beijing, 100 per cent, and now I can't do it. It's a huge shock," he said.