Roulston and PlaceMakers chase tour glory

PlaceMakers nailed down double Olympic medalist Hayden Roulston as Team PlaceMakers lead rider for the Tour of Southland

Born in Ashburton, Hayden Roulston became the first New Zealander cyclist to win two Olympic medals after finishing second and third in the men’s 4000m individual pursuit and 4000m team pursuit at the 2008 Beijing games. He will be chasing down his fifth Tour of Southland title when he led Team PlaceMakers out on 30 October.

Hayden rode in PlaceMakers colours alongside Reon Nolan (Christchurch), Richard Lawson (Christchurch), Scott Thomas (North Shore), Frazer Hewitt (Invercargill), Kieran Hambrook (Nelson) and Tom Sexton (Invercargill).

Hayden, who won the event in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010, said he was looking forward to taking part in the event for the first time since 2012.

“I’m really excited to be coming down to a race I know really well,” he said before the event. “I want to win the race for Team PlaceMakers and I’m really pleased to be riding for such a passionate sponsor. I hope I do their jersey justice in what is always a tough race.”

PlaceMakers Southland joint venture operator Ron Jeffcoat was excited to have Hayden join the team.

“His professionalism and racing experience is undeniable and we look forward to having him plying his trade in this fantastic race,” said Ron.

Stacked field

While the talented PlaceMakers team was arguably one of the best pedaling in this year’s tour, Roulston wasn’t the only Olympic medalist taking to the saddle and he knew he would not have an easy ride in pursuit of his fifth tour title.

Tour manager Bruce Ross said that this year’s event featured a number of international and Olympic riders, as well as Olympic gold medalist and world champion rower Hamish Bond, all of whom would be chasing victory in New Zealand’s premier cycling event.

Race to the top

Running from 30 Oct to 4 Nov, the 851km tour features eight stages (including the prologue), with some tough climbs likely to be defining moments.

The ascent up Bluff Hill is legendary in cycling, with riders having to cover more than 2km at gradients of up to 20% before reaching the peak more than 250m above sea level – often riding into the teeth of howling gales. (For comparison, Dunedin’s Baldwin Street, the world’s steepest residential street, has a maximum gradient of about 35%.) 

Bruce said that while the Bluff Hill climb would be a test for those taking part, Friday’s ride through to Gore could be more important as it features several hills that traditionally split the field.

“Other tests include the ride over Blackmount during the Riverton to Te Anau leg, and Stage 3, which features an 8km climb to the finish point on Coronet Peak.”