Beijing Qualification points up for grabs

The build up for Beijing 08 begins on Wednesday for New Zealand’s top cyclists with Olympic qualification points up for grabs at the Oceania Cycling Championships in Invercargill.

Hot from his win at the Tour of Southland last week, Hayden Roulston will be leading the charge for New Zealand against a formidable Australian team at the Oceania Cycling Championships starting on Wednesday.

Top prospects for New Zealand include Roulston & commonwealth games gold medalist Greg Henderson, in the Madison and the points race, the Men’s team Pursuit and Catherine Cheatley and Joanne Kiesanowski in the womens points race.

However, It won’t be all plain sailing for the New Zealand team, Australia’s team is comprised of a who’s who of current and & former Olympic and commonwealth medalists and World Champions. Riders to watch include Ryan Bayley, 2 time gold medalist at the Athens Olympics, Ben Kersten, Gold medalist at the 2006 Commonwealth Games and Scott Sunderland, 2006 World Time Trial Champion.

The Meares sisters, Anna a gold medalist and world record holder and Kerie a national title holder, are top class and will be tough to beat as will Katherine Watt an Olympic gold and silver medalist from the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

The Championships will mark the beginning of NZ’s campaign to earn qualification points for the Beijing Olympics. At the end of the event, the NZ Track team will go into camp before they head to Sydney at the end of the month for the first World Cup Track event of the season.

The Oceania championships include an Individual Time Trial, Road Races and Track racing which will take place at the new ILT Velodrome, New Zealand’s only fully covered facility. See timetable below.


Timetable of Events:

Track racing will be at the new ILT Velodrome in Invercargill. Road events will begin with the Individual Time Trials at Winton, and conclude with the Individual Road Events at Gore.

Wednesday 14 November 2007
Individual Time Trials, 10:00 a.m.
Start and finish at Winton, approximately 30km from Invercargill.
A flat, out and back course.

Thursday 15 November – Saturday 17 November 2007
ILT Velodrome, Invercargill
Track Championships. 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. daily

Sunday 18 November 2007
Road Championships from 9:00 a.m.
Start and finish at Gore, approximately 65km from Invercargill