KEY POINTS:
Ashburton's Hayden Roulston topped off a great year in his cycling career by completing a hat-trick of Tour of Southland titles yesterday.
Now, he's setting even higher goals. He wants make a big impression on his return to Europe next year with the newly-formed Swiss-based Cervelo Test team.
"The most important thing next year is securing my future - the goal is to earn a two to three-year contract," said Roulston who has a one-year deal with Cervelo.
To aid his cause, Roulston wants to make the Cervelo team for the Tour de France and the Giro D'Italia and win stages in these races.
"I'm pretty sure I'll get the results I need. I'm going to shoot for the top because I believe I can do it," he said.
Roulston's professional road career stalled after a promising apprenticeship with French team Cofidis.
He linked up with then Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong's Discovery Channel team at the start of 2005 but lack of results through illness and off-track indiscipline which saw him being fined for assault after a pub brawl at home, saw him cut from the team.
Diagnosed with a potentially fatal heart condition, he retired briefly in 2006 before defying the medical specialists with a successful return to cycling, scoring his first win at the Tour of Southland, New Zealand's longest and toughest road race later that year.
He has gone from strength to strength since, winning the Tour of Wellington and retaining the Southland tour title in 2007.
His high on the track came this year with a silver medal in the individual pursuit at the Beijing Olympics before anchoring the pursuit team to a bronze medal.
But his road commitments mean New Zealand will have to do without his considerable presence on the track next year.
Roulston said his Cervelo contract has no clause for him to be released for national duty.
"No, no track for next year. I don't have that sort of power to negotiate releases to ride for New Zealand. I have to earn the power again."
Roulston said track would be back on his agenda from 2010.
"The world champs from 2010, the Commonwealth Games (in New Delhi 2010) and then the 2012 Olympics - that'll be the swansong, hopefully."
Roulston said with his overseas commitments, and the Southland tour's timing, he would not have the form to win it again.
He had to call on all his powers to beat off a strong challenge from Auckland's Gordon McCauley this year.
When the tour ended on Saturday, Roulston had won by one minute and 58 seconds after nine stages and 860km of the six-day Powernet-sponsored race.
The yellow jersey changed hands from Heath Blackgrove to Jeremy Yates and then McCauley who proceeded to fight Roulston off at every turn and hill climb for the next four stages.
In the worst weather conditions the 52-year-old tour has seen in a single day last Wednesday with hail, snow, rain and strong winds battering the peloton, McCauley clung on to the lead despite Roulston winning both stages on offer.
He defied everything Roulston threw at him over the next two stages and still held a 17-second lead at the start of the final day.
Roulston finally broke McCauley's grip on the penultimate stage.
Glen Chadwick, who raced in the Olympics road race for New Zealand, was sitting in the bunch when Roulston attacked.
"Rolly had a game plan - he was hoping to have a big group get away before the climb (up Gorge Hill) and when he saw that happen, he just jumped across. No one was able to go with him and it worked perfectly for him," Chadwick said.
Gaining the front of the race, Roulston put the hammer down. Unable to organise a pursuit, McCauley's challenge was finally broken.
With the win, Roulston joins a select list of riders who have won the tour at least three times - Tino Tabak from 1965-67 and Brian Fowler between 1985-90. Fowler won twice more in 1992 and 1995.
Roulston's winning time was 20hr 14min 21sec with McCauley at 1min 58sec. Third was Heath Blackgrove of Colourplus at 4min 56sec
- NZPA
