New Zealand - NZCT Women’s Tour of New Zealand 2010

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Latest News and Official Start List for 2010 Tour

Wellington area, North Island, New Zealand, February 24 - 28

Latest news

The NZCT Women’s Cycle Tour of New Zealand starts on Wednesday 24^th February at 2.30pm with a stage from Martinborough to Masterton and finish on Sunday 28^th February with a Wellington Criterium in Lambton Quay.

Stage 1 takes riders over Te Wharau hill in the Wairarapa.  In stages two and five riders take on two of the most difficult and hilly stages in the tour, a 125 km stage from Palmerston North to Masterton via the demanding 12km Pahiatua Track climb on Thursday 25, returning on Saturday 27.  

This is the biggest international women’s cycling event in New Zealand.  The field is made up 100 riders from several countries, plus the best of New Zealand.   

National teams from Australia, Japan, China, USA and New Zealand as well as professional riders from South Africa, Netherlands, Sweden and Luxemburg are taking part in the race.

In the US team is former world champion Amber Neben, the World time trial Champion in Varese, Italy in 2008, is leading a powerful United States national team.  

In 2003 Neben was the US road race champion, and has twice won the Tour de l'Aude (in 2005 and 2006). Andrea Dvorak, a qualified lawyer, has won stage races in the US, and has also competed in the Giro de Italia. She is expected to be prominent in the hills, which will be vital to her success in the NZCT tour. Team-mate Jessica Phillips won the US road race in 2002, and became the time trial champion last year, and the three others in the team, Janel Holcombe, Shelley Evans and Alison Starnes, are all well performed. 

This squad looks likely to push the NZCT New Zealand team, Rochelle Gilmore's Lotto line-up, and the best of the Australian teams, but tour director, Jorge Sandoval, is also delighted to have teams from China, Japan, including the national squad. "The Chinese and Japan teams all have Olympic representatives looking to make an impression here," Sandoval said. "With the number and standard of the overseas riders it ensures the NZCT tour continues to grow in terms of its international profile. All the hard work we have done in the last few years to make people aware of the tour, and the standard of racing, is paying off."

Favourites for the race are:

Rochelle Gilmore - Australia        

Amber Neben – USA Ex World Champion

Andrea Dvorak – USA

Ruth Corset – Current road cycling Champion, Australia

Amber Halliday – 2009 Tour winner – Current Australian TT champion.

Rushlee Buchanan – New Zealand road champion  

Start List