Sydney rider Rochelle Gilmore will head a powerful Australian
contingent in this month's Women's Cycling Tour of New
Zealand.
Gilmore, a winner of the first two stages and the sprint
classification in last year's tour, will arrive in good
shape, having competed strongly in events across the Tasman
through January and placing fourth in this week's Ladies Tour
of Qatar.
Her international successes have included winning two World
Cup rounds and being a silver medallist at the world track
championships.
Gilmore ride for her Italian Lotto professional team in the
tour from February 24-28, alongside compatriots Josephine
Tomic, Vicki Whitelaw, and Rachel Neylan, and South Africans
Lynette Burger and Ashleigh Moolman.
Around 30 Australian riders are expected to participate, most
of them in four all-Australian teams, a national squad,
another from the Australian Institute of Sport, and trade
teams, RACE and Prime State.
Tour director Jorge Sandoval said it is the largest number of
Australians he has had in his women's tour. Sandoval expects
the Australians to provide many of the tour fireworks.
"They will arrive race-fit, and with the course a hilly one
they will be well prepared for what lies ahead," he said.
This year's tour will be more demanding than previously, with
the riders required to twice traverse the Pahiatua Track as
the event ventures to the Manawatu for the first time, in
addition to having to climb the Te Wharau hill in the
Wairarapa.
It starts with a stage from Martinborough to Masterton before
spending two days in the Palmerston North area, and returning
to Masterton before finishing on Wellington's Lambton Quay
with a circuit race on closed streets.
