Leading cyclist to step down after Tour
Two-time Olympic medallist Hayden Roulston has signalled the 2016 Tour of Southland will be his final cycling race.
The 35-year-old, who started on the road in 2002 with Cofidis, retired from road cycling in October last year to attend the Olympics this year, in the team pursuit.
He has decided to end his career with the Tour of Southland, the place where it all began, which begins on October 30.
‘‘I felt that the Tour of Southland, New Zealand’s number one cycling race was the perfect place for me to finish my career,’’ he said.
‘‘It all started there and I feel it’s the fitting place to wrap it up.’’
He said the Rio Olympics was a great experience and a real highlight but it was time to move on.
‘‘We have some good young cyclists coming through and it will be great to follow them and see how they go.’’
Roulston said the sport had given him many memories over the years, and his four Tour of Southland titles stand out.
The highly regarded rider won two silver medals in the points race (2006) and road race (2010), as well as a bronze in the team pursuit at the 2002 Commonwealth Games, along with four national road championships.
He was the first New Zealand cyclist to win two Olympic medals He also finished 10th in the punishing Paris-Roubaix race in 2010.
He picked up professional road contracts with Cofidis (2002) and Discovery Channel (2005) before a heart condition led to an enforced retirement.
He was diagnosed with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia, which left him short of breath, pushed his heart rate to dangerous levels, and meant there was a risk of dying every time he rode his bike.
But after bringing the condition under control, Roulston returned to racing in 2006, remarkably winning the national men’s road title and the Tour of Southland that year, and then going on to become the first Kiwi cyclist to win two Olympic medals.
‘‘Our sport in general and Cycling New Zealand in particular is indebted to Hayden,’’ said Cycling NZ high performance director Mark Elliott.
‘‘His Olympic success was the spark that helped ignite our high performance programme and since that time he has remained a hugely influential figure for our young riders.
‘‘His successes on the track and the road have been outstanding. But for me what sets Roly aside has been his resilience and determination to fight back from his cardiac condition and return to the track after eight years away to make the team for Rio.’’
The Tour of Southland runs from October 30 to November 5.