Hayden Roulston declared himself spot-on for Commonwealth Games medals as he clinched victory in the Wellington-Wairarapa cycling classic yesterday.
The Ashburton rider, one of New Zealand's leading medal chances in Melbourne in March, ensured overall victory by winning the 12km time trial around Scorching Bay.
He then coasted to the
line in the main bunch on the final stage, a one-hour criterium around Petone town centre, to win the tour overall by 90s from Commonwealth Games teammate Tim Gudsell of Waikato.
"I knew I had good form," Roulston said.
"We came here with the aim of winning and it's been a great experience.
"I'm still not at the top of my game at the moment, but things are definitely coming right and I am confident of getting results at the Commonwealth Games."
Gudsell, despite losing his yellow jersey the previous day and being unable to outsprint Australian Wesley Sulzberger for the green jersey, was happy with his race.
"It feels good to hold on to second place," he said.
"In a few weeks we'll all be teammates but the racing here this week has been all on."
Yesterday's was Roulston's third stage win on the tour, and he cruised home in the final criterium in the top-10 behind his Subway team-mate Greg Henderson.
In conditions that totally contrasted with the previous day's stifling heat, wind and light rain buffeted the tour's remaining 70 riders on the 12km flat course on stage six.
Roulston flew around the route with a time of 14m 32s, averaging over 49km/h and beating team-mate Jeremy Vennell into second place by 29s.
National road race champion Gordon McCauley, riding for the Samsung New Zealand national team, was third in a time of 15m 6s.
No stranger to tussles with officialdom, Roulston's victory was not without controversy.
Judges delayed the announcement of the final result to discuss whether he had cut corners on the winding Shelly Bay Road. Eventually it was decided he, with Scotland's James McCallum, would be fined but that their race times would stand.
Gudsell, also in the Samsung team, finished fourth in 15m 9s.
- NZPA
