Roulston focused on black jersey

Hayden Roulston is focused on black and feels he has prepared well to take on one of the strongest fields ever assembled for a New Zealand Road Cycling Championship event when the men’s road race gets underway in Christchurch on Sunday.

Roulston attended his Team HTC - Highroad professional team’s camp in California last month and has steadily built his form since, with his final preparation for Sunday’s race being riding up to Nelson then competing in three of the four stages of the Tour de Vineyards.

“I came back for the team camp feeling strong and have had some great training since, clocking up some big miles. I really feel I have gone up a level and I’m ready for whatever Sunday’s race might throw at me.”

With more than 100 riders on the start line on Sunday, including all of New Zealand’s major pro-team professionals, Roulston is very aware of the strength in the field and that they all want to wear the black national champion’s jersey for the rest of the year.

“There are some very strong guys lining up, it won’t be an easy race, but I really want to wear the black national champion’s jersey in Europe this year so have prepared myself as best I can at this time of year.”

Winners of five national road titles are included in the men’s field led by defending champion Jack Bauer (Wellington) who rides for the Endura Racing pro team in Great Britain. Roulston won the national title in 2006 winner and Julian Dean won in 2007 and 2008.

Fellow kiwi pro tour riders are Team Sky’sGreg Henderson and the Radioshack pair of Sam Bewley (Rotorua) and Jesse Sergent (Feilding).

Roulston, who won the country’s premier road cycling tour, the Powernet Tour of Southland, for the fourth time in November, leaves on Monday to join his pro team in Adelaide for the season’s first pro tour event, the Santos Tour Down Under, which starts next Sunday the 16th of January.