Cheatley gets start in Olympic road race

Invercargill-based Catherine Cheatley has been added to the start list for the road race for next week’s Beijing Olympics.

Cheatley, initially selected for her specialist Points race on the track, will now also compete in the women’s road race. Olympic organisers offered a second spot to the New Zealanders, who were at the top of the priority list, following the withdrawal of a rider from another country.

The former Wanganui cyclist now joins Canterbury’s Joanne Kiesanowski in the 126km road race.
Initially BikeNZ had hoped that Kiesanowski, Cheatley and Rosara Joseph would compete in the road race. But they were allotted only one spot for Beijing after losing crucial ranking points from a race in USA which the UCI ruled had insufficient international teams to warrant its original status.

This left Kiesanowski, New Zealand’s highest ranked international rider, as the sole Olympic representative in the road race.

BikeNZ High Performance Director, Mark Elliott said that Cheatley was the strong candidate for the second spot, just ahead of Joseph, who will compete in the mountainbike in Beijing.

“Catherine has enjoyed a very good road season in the USA, and while she has moulded much of her preparation towards the track, she will be an excellent asset for the road race, especially on such a demanding course,” Elliott said.

“She has been working hard all season in a supporting role for her Cheerwine Team. Her performances have stepped up to a new level this season and it shows the commitment we are looking for from athletes within the BikeNZ High Performance Programme”

It has meant some hasty re-organisation for Cheatley who now arrives in Beijing tomorrow ahead of the road race on 10 August, the second day of competition.

Cheatley, who has enjoyed three wins since her professional debut last year, has recovered well from a leg operation that threatened her 2008 season.