CYCLING: Vennell signs for Dutch pro team

Shane Hurndell
Hawke's Bay cyclist Jeremy Vennell has signed a one-year contract with Holland-based professional team B and E Cycling.
Vennell will be the only Kiwi in the 16-strong team which assembles in March. He has had several stints of racing in Europe over the past two years and secured this contact with a fourth placing in the Tour of Southland.
The Brendon Besty-coached Vennell will race in several tours including the Tour of Nelson and his Ramblers Cycling Club's Quality Auto Machinist Two-Day tour on January 22 and 23.
New Zealand Olympians Tim Gudsell and Peter Latham of Te Awamutu who were both members of the Kiwi Pursuit team in Athens are tipped to provide Vennell with his toughest competition.
Event manager Ivan Aplin said the tour is rapidly becoming one of New Zealand's premier cycling events and he expects at least 130 starters next month. Along with Gudsell and Latham fellow Olympians Jeremy Yates (last year's winner), Sara Ulmer and Michelle Hyland all competed last year.
"With Jeremy (Yates) serving his ban, visiting riders will fancy their chances of winning the tour more than in previous years," said Aplin.
He also expects several international riders to tackle the tour as part of their buildup to the February Tour of Wellington. The Ramblers tour will involve four stages.
On the Saturday competitors will tackle a road race on the Appley Road circuit in the morning and then an Onekawa industrial area-based Criterium in the afternoon. The Sunday morning's third stage will involve a hill climb from Arataki Road in Havelock North to the summit of Te Mata Peak and the afternoon's fourth stage will be a 90km road race around the Tukituki Valley.
Seven categories of riders from A grade men through to under-17 and under-15s will be catered for.