Cycling: Roulston chasing fifth win

Hayden Roulston knows the course well but can expect a host of strong challengers. Picture / Getty Images

One of best road national champs fields for years tipped to provide strong competition

Canterbury's favourite cycling son, Hayden Roulston, will be chasing history at the elite road national championships in Christchurch next month.

The Trek Factory Racing professional will be gunning for his fifth elite honours around the testing terrain of the Cashmere hills on January 11. That will see him equal veteran Gordon McCauley's five wins, the most of any rider since the championship began 80 years ago.

He will face a host of potential challengers from fellow international professionals and Commonwealth Games medallists.

There's a gleam to the women's competition with the outstanding Linda Villumsen, a five-time world championship and Commonwealth Games gold medallist, heading a select group that includes the country's best track riders, who will be preparing for February's world championships.

Roulston, who has been training with his professional team in Europe, will be home for Christmas before turning his attention to the national championships around a course he knows well.

There will be strong challenges from the new Avanti Racing Team headed by the likes of Paddy Bevin, the national criterium champion, Taylor Gunman, who will defend his national time trial honours, likely against his teammate and 2013 winner Joe Cooper.

Other teams lining up include the Breads of Europe/All About Plumbing combination headed by two-time under-23 champion Michael Vink from Christchurch, L&M Group Ricoh led by 2012 winner James Williamson, and Modus Construction with their in-form leader Brad Evans.

There are a number of leading professionals chasing honours including Roulston's Trek Factory Racing teammate Jesse Sergent, who enjoyed a world class season, and fellow World Tour riders Sam Bewley (Orica GreenEdge) and George Bennett, who moves to Belkin Pro Cycling team in 2015.

There are a host of Commonwealth Games stars also in action including gold medallist Shane Archbold (Timaru), who is heading back to the road next year with pro continental team Bora - Argon 18.

Many of his Glasgow teammates are on the start line including Marc Ryan (Timaru), Aaron Gate (Auckland) and Mike Northey (Auckland) while added to the mix will be the best of the under-23 talent including professionals James Oram, Dion Smith and Hayden McCormick.

"It is one of the deepest fields we've seen for many years," said event promoter Simon Hollander.

"We are only missing Jack Bauer of basically all potential elite riders in New Zealand.

"We have riders from the world's best professional teams, our best track riders and some very strong trade teams who will be doubly strong as they work together over this course. It will be an absolute humdinger of a race."

The women's field includes 2013 winner Courteney Lowe (Tauranga), the classy Villumsen, who moves to US-based UnitedHealthcare pro team, her former Wiggle Honda pro teammate Emily Collins along with the leading track riders Lauren Ellis, Jaime Nielsen and Georgia Williams.

Missing will be the recently married Rushlee Buchanan, last year's winner.

The time trials for all divisions are on January 9 at Lincoln, with the women's race over 120km of the Cashmere course the following day, while the men's elite race is over 184km.