New Zealand has announced a 10-person team for the 2014 UCI road world championships held in Ponferrada, Spain at the end of this month. New Zealand's nation cycling body, BikeNZ, confirmed that Jack Bauer (Garmin-Sharp) and Linda Villumsen (Wiggle Honda) will headline the men's and women's teams respectively.
Villumsen, who won the Commonwealth Games time trial gold medal, will contest the road race along with Reta Trotman (MaxxSolar), Emily Collins (Wiggle Honda), Joanne Kiesanowski (Team TIBCO). Danish-born Villumsen will be only women to compete in the time trial event.
Trek Factory Racing's Jesse Sergent will be the sole entrant in the men's time trial.
"Overall it's a select team of quality professionals who have made themselves available for what is a course which suits a specific rider who can handle the distance," said BikeNZ High Performance Director, Mark Elliott.
"Like in Glasgow we have riders going there in support of Jack Bauer and Linda Villumsen. I am delighted that Greg Henderson has put his hand up, and he believes he can ride competitively for a good chunk of the race in support of Jack as he did in Glasgow.
"We expect that George [Bennettt] will be ideally suited to this course and also be in contention at the sharp end of the race.
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Elliott added that team will be looking to replicate its success at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games held just weeks ago.
"We had a strong plan under our Director Sportif Craig Geater at the Commonwealth Games and we will be looking for a similar approach at the worlds, but of course we will have all of the best riders in the world," he said.
"Both Linda and Jesse have excellent credentials in the time trial where the course appears to be challenging and more technical than last year."
Both James Oram (Bissell Development) and Dion Smith (Hincapie Sportswear Development) will contest the U23 time trial and road race events.
Men's road race: Jack Bauer (Garmin-Sharp), Greg Henderson (Lotto-Belisol), George Bennett (Cannondale). Time trial: Jesse Sergent (Trek Factory Racing). U23 road race and time trial: Dion Smith (Auckland, Hincapie Sportswear Development), James Oram (Auckland, Bissell Development U23). Women's road race: Linda Villumsen (Wiggle Honda), Reta Trotman(MaxxSolar), Emily Collins (Wiggle Honda), Joanne Kiesanowski (Team TIBCO). Time trial: Villumsen.
