Cycling: Heavy traffic in bids for Olympic places

.

The Tour of Wellington cycling classic highlighted the tough task national selectors will have when choosing their road team of four for the Sydney Olympics this year.

Hastings' Brendon Vesty did the right thing and won the tour on Saturday, even if his margin of 11 seconds over Rotorua's Bryce Shapley was probably a little too close for comfort.

The pair finished in reverse order atop the tour's signature stage on Hawkins Hill on Saturday morning, the stage win for Shapley and the tour for Vesty.

But as the riders dispersed for their various campaigns to challenge for Olympic spots, the only certainty was the sheer weight of numbers challenging for the two expected remaining spots.

New Zealand's top two road exponents, Chris Jenner and Julian Dean, are certain to take the first two places, by virtue of their world rankings and high-level experience.

Vesty drew first blood with his tour win and he is deadly in his desire to race at Sydney. "The games are my big goal," he said. "While I make a living out of riding my bike, it is a great thing to represent your country and that is what I want to do.

"The win here proves I'm in contention and that I am willing to have a go for the sake of the team," he said.

He now faces four weeks of solid training before joining his professional team at a training camp in California and to ride in two American tours.

He then rides for New Zealand in the tour of Japan, after which the Olympic quartet will be named.

Graeme Miller, who all but held off the flying Vesty and Shapley, has four Olympics behind him and wants another to match his five Commonwealth Games appearances.

"I like to think I've done enough to be selected," he said.

Miller was delighted with his form in Wellington, especially after his criterium win in the final stage.

"To bounce back after a tough stage during the morning, to win the criterium, shows there is something good in the legs," he said.

Glen Mitchell showed in three rides on the last three days, including a stage win on Friday, that his developing power cannot be overlooked.

Shapley, the mountain biker who described his hill win on Saturday as "a good day at the office" is determined to ride in the national road championships in April and if the Olympic course was hillier he would probably be a contender.

Warren Clark and Scott Guyton, fourth and fifth in the tour, both did some superb team riding throughout without ever featuring in the paying positions.

But that ability to work for the favoured riders is what the selectors will be looking for in the tough Olympic environment.

Guyton was a controversial choice for Atlanta but must have every chance of a return. Other team riders such as Ryan Russell and Karl Moore only need top placings in the national championships to enter contention. - NZPA