Hayden Roulston
Encyclopedia
Hayden Roulston, MNZM
(born 10 January 1981 in Ashburton
) is a New Zealand professional racing cyclist for UCI ProTour
team . He won the silver medal in the men's 4000 m individual pursuit and a bronze medal in the men's 4000 m team pursuit at the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing.
Roulston was a talented junior rider on both road and track and competed for New Zealand on the track and initially on the road for a club team in France. He turned professional with the French team in 2002 where he remained for two seasons before moving to for 2005. His season with Discovery Channel featured some impressive rides but was interrupted by injury and eventually ended when he resigned after an incident in a Christchurch bar. He attempted to relaunch his professional road career in the US when he signed for Continental Pro team HealthNet and began strongly with two top ten stage finishes in the Tour of California beating many big name ProTour regulars. Unfortunately for Roulston his first year at HealthNet ended when a medical examination revealed irregular heart activity and he was advised to stop riding immediately.
Back home in New Zealand he experimented with some alternative remedies and was soon back riding - and winning. Without a contract but still motivated to ride he won the National Road Race title in 2006 and back to back Tour of Southland and Tour of Wellington titles in 2006 & 2007. In addition to the road races he returned to the track and won several titles at the New Zealand and Oceania track championships.
Roulston was selected for the New Zealand team to compete at the 2008 World Track Championships in Manchester where he narrowly missed medals in the 4000 m Individual Pursuit (4th) and Team Pursuit (4th) as well as finishing 9th in the Madison with Greg Henderson. Having performed so strongly in Manchester, he was selected for the Beijing Olympics, where he focused on improving his 4th placed pursuit rides. Former New Zealand track coach Ron Cheatley suggested his best bet will be to drop the Madison and focus on the complementary pursuit events in much the same fashion as Kiwi pursuit rider Sarah Ulmer
. Ulmer quit road racing and focused solely on her pursuit preparation before the 2004 Athens Olympics where she went on to smash the world record and take the gold medal in the women's 4000 m Individual Pursuit.
At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Roulston won the silver medal in the 4000 m individual pursuit, defeated in the gold medal race by Bradley Wiggins
. He also featured as a member of the Bronze medal winning New Zealand team pursuit team, although he did not race in the qualifying rounds. He came 10th in the Madison with his team mate Greg Henderson
.
In September 2008, Roulston announced that he would be riding for Cervélo TestTeam
in 2009, with riders including reigning Tour de France champion Carlos Sastre and multiple Tour de France stage winner Thor Hushovd.
In the Tour of California 2009 Roulston began a perfectly executed lead out to allow team sprinter Thor Hushovd to win Stage 3. In stage 7 Roulston almost won the stage himself after breaking free from a ten man breakaway that included Frank Schleck, George Hincapie and Christian VandeVelde. Roulston was 2nd after a photo finish with Rinaldo Nocentini. Roulston finished 35th overall.
Roulston came second in the Men's road race
at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
, winning the silver medal.
2003
2004
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
New Zealand Order of Merit
The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order established in 1996 "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."The order includes five...
(born 10 January 1981 in Ashburton
Ashburton, New Zealand
Ashburton is a town and district in the Canterbury Region on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is the third-largest centre in Canterbury, after Christchurch and Timaru. The area around Ashburton is frequently referred to as Mid Canterbury, which is also the name of the...
) is a New Zealand professional racing cyclist for UCI ProTour
UCI ProTour
The UCI ProTour was a series of road bicycle races in Europe, Australia and Canada organised by the UCI . Created by Hein Verbruggen, former president of the UCI, it comprises a number of 'ProTour' cycling teams, each of whom are required to compete in every round of the series...
team . He won the silver medal in the men's 4000 m individual pursuit and a bronze medal in the men's 4000 m team pursuit at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing.
Roulston was a talented junior rider on both road and track and competed for New Zealand on the track and initially on the road for a club team in France. He turned professional with the French team in 2002 where he remained for two seasons before moving to for 2005. His season with Discovery Channel featured some impressive rides but was interrupted by injury and eventually ended when he resigned after an incident in a Christchurch bar. He attempted to relaunch his professional road career in the US when he signed for Continental Pro team HealthNet and began strongly with two top ten stage finishes in the Tour of California beating many big name ProTour regulars. Unfortunately for Roulston his first year at HealthNet ended when a medical examination revealed irregular heart activity and he was advised to stop riding immediately.
Back home in New Zealand he experimented with some alternative remedies and was soon back riding - and winning. Without a contract but still motivated to ride he won the National Road Race title in 2006 and back to back Tour of Southland and Tour of Wellington titles in 2006 & 2007. In addition to the road races he returned to the track and won several titles at the New Zealand and Oceania track championships.
Roulston was selected for the New Zealand team to compete at the 2008 World Track Championships in Manchester where he narrowly missed medals in the 4000 m Individual Pursuit (4th) and Team Pursuit (4th) as well as finishing 9th in the Madison with Greg Henderson. Having performed so strongly in Manchester, he was selected for the Beijing Olympics, where he focused on improving his 4th placed pursuit rides. Former New Zealand track coach Ron Cheatley suggested his best bet will be to drop the Madison and focus on the complementary pursuit events in much the same fashion as Kiwi pursuit rider Sarah Ulmer
Sarah Ulmer
Sarah Elizabeth Ulmer, ONZM is the first New Zealander to win an Olympic cycling gold. She won a gold medal and set world records at the 2004 Summer Olympics at Athens,....
. Ulmer quit road racing and focused solely on her pursuit preparation before the 2004 Athens Olympics where she went on to smash the world record and take the gold medal in the women's 4000 m Individual Pursuit.
At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Roulston won the silver medal in the 4000 m individual pursuit, defeated in the gold medal race by Bradley Wiggins
Bradley Wiggins
Bradley Marc Wiggins, CBE is a British professional track and road bicycle racer, currently riding for Team Sky. Wiggins' career began on the track, where he specialised in the pursuit and madison disciplines....
. He also featured as a member of the Bronze medal winning New Zealand team pursuit team, although he did not race in the qualifying rounds. He came 10th in the Madison with his team mate Greg Henderson
Greg Henderson
Gregory Henderson is a professional track and road racing cyclist who rides for , but who will ride for Lotto in 2012. His career includes winning the 15 km scratch race at the 2004 world championships and, in road cycling, winning the points competition at the 2005 Tour de Georgia. He...
.
In September 2008, Roulston announced that he would be riding for Cervélo TestTeam
Cervélo TestTeam
Cervélo TestTeam is a former professional cycling team, whose license was held in Switzerland by the cycling management company Cycling United Racing. The team's title sponsor was Cervélo, a Canadian manufacturer of bicycle frames that previously exclusively supplied...
in 2009, with riders including reigning Tour de France champion Carlos Sastre and multiple Tour de France stage winner Thor Hushovd.
In the Tour of California 2009 Roulston began a perfectly executed lead out to allow team sprinter Thor Hushovd to win Stage 3. In stage 7 Roulston almost won the stage himself after breaking free from a ten man breakaway that included Frank Schleck, George Hincapie and Christian VandeVelde. Roulston was 2nd after a photo finish with Rinaldo Nocentini. Roulston finished 35th overall.
Roulston came second in the Men's road race
Cycling at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
The cycling competition at the 2010 Commonwealth Games comprised two disciplines: road cycling and track cycling. The track events were held at the Indira Gandhi Arena. Track events were held from 5–8 October 2010.-Medal table:- Road:- Track:...
at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
2010 Commonwealth Games
The 2010 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games, were held in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. A total of 6,081 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and dependencies competed in 21 sports and 272 events, making it the largest Commonwealth Games till date...
, winning the silver medal.
Career highlights
2002- 1st Team Pursuit Sydney
- 1st Madison Sydney
- 2nd Overall Tour of WellingtonTour of WellingtonThe Tour of Wellington or Trust House Classic is a road cycling race held in and around Wellington, New Zealand. The race exists of a men's competition over seven stages and is part of the UCI Oceania Tour.-Winners:...
- 1st Stage 2
- 2nd Individual Pursuit, Sydney
- 3rd
Commonwealth Games2002 Commonwealth GamesThe 2002 Commonwealth Games were held in Manchester, England from 25 July to 4 August 2002. The XVII Commonwealth Games was the largest multi-sport event ever to be held in the UK, eclipsing London's 1948 Summer Olympics in numbers of teams and athletes participating.After the 1996 Manchester...
, Team Pursuit
2003
- 1st Stage 7 Tour de PologneTour de PologneThe Tour de Pologne is a road bicycle racing stage race. It consists of seven or eight stages and is usually around 1,200 km in length. The race was first held in 1928. Until 1952 the race was held sporadically, but since then it has been an annual race...
- 2nd
World Madison Championship (with Gregory Henderson) - 2nd Overall Tour de VineyardsTour de VineyardsThe Tour de Vineyards is a road cycling race held in and around Richmond, New Zealand. The race exists of both a men's and a women's competition over four stages.-Past winners:-References:*...
- 1st Stage 2
- 1st Stage 3
2004
- 1st Stage 1 Tour de WallonieTour de WallonieThe Tour de Wallonie is a stage race cycling race on the UCI Europe Tour. It runs in Wallonia, the French-speaking part of Belgium in the end of July. Between 1974 and 1995 it was reserved to amateurs. Since 2005, the race has been organized as a 2.HC event on the UCI Europe Tour- Winners...
- 1st Stage 3 Tour of SouthlandTour of SouthlandThe Tour of Southland is a road bicycle racing stage race held in the Southland Region of New Zealand. From 2005 until 2009, the Tour of Southland has been part of the UCI Oceania Tour however the 2010 event was held as a National Tour. The Tour is held annually in November. The race is organised...
- 2nd Tour du DoubsTour du DoubsThe Tour du Doubs is a single-day road bicycle race, currently held annually in September in the region of Doubs, France. Since 2005, the race is organized as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour and since 2010 it is part of the French Road Cycling Cup....
- 3rd National Road Race Championship
2006
- 1st
National Road Race Champion - 1st Pursuit Champion
- 1st Team Pursuit Champion
- 1st
Overall, Tour of WellingtonTour of WellingtonThe Tour of Wellington or Trust House Classic is a road cycling race held in and around Wellington, New Zealand. The race exists of a men's competition over seven stages and is part of the UCI Oceania Tour.-Winners:...
- 1st Stage 3
- 1st Stage 5
- 1st Stage 6
- 1st Overall, Tour of SouthlandTour of SouthlandThe Tour of Southland is a road bicycle racing stage race held in the Southland Region of New Zealand. From 2005 until 2009, the Tour of Southland has been part of the UCI Oceania Tour however the 2010 event was held as a National Tour. The Tour is held annually in November. The race is organised...
- 1st Stage 1
- 1st Overall, Tour de VineyardsTour de VineyardsThe Tour de Vineyards is a road cycling race held in and around Richmond, New Zealand. The race exists of both a men's and a women's competition over four stages.-Past winners:-References:*...
- 1st Stage 1
- 1st Stage 2
- 1st Stage 3
- 1st Stage 2 McLane Pacific Classic
- 2nd Commonwealth Games2006 Commonwealth GamesThe 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia between 15 March and 26 March 2006. It was the largest sporting event to be staged in Melbourne, eclipsing the 1956 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of teams competing, athletes competing, and events being held.The site...
, Points race
2007
- 1st Oceania Madison Cycling Champion
- 1st Oceania Road Race Cycling Champion
- 1st Overall, Tour of WellingtonTour of WellingtonThe Tour of Wellington or Trust House Classic is a road cycling race held in and around Wellington, New Zealand. The race exists of a men's competition over seven stages and is part of the UCI Oceania Tour.-Winners:...
- 1st Stage 1
- 1st Stage 4
- 1st Stage 6
- 1st Overall, Tour of SouthlandTour of SouthlandThe Tour of Southland is a road bicycle racing stage race held in the Southland Region of New Zealand. From 2005 until 2009, the Tour of Southland has been part of the UCI Oceania Tour however the 2010 event was held as a National Tour. The Tour is held annually in November. The race is organised...
- 1st Pegasus Subway Classic
2008
- 1st Overall, Tour of SouthlandTour of SouthlandThe Tour of Southland is a road bicycle racing stage race held in the Southland Region of New Zealand. From 2005 until 2009, the Tour of Southland has been part of the UCI Oceania Tour however the 2010 event was held as a National Tour. The Tour is held annually in November. The race is organised...
- 1st Stage 4 Tour of WellingtonTour of WellingtonThe Tour of Wellington or Trust House Classic is a road cycling race held in and around Wellington, New Zealand. The race exists of a men's competition over seven stages and is part of the UCI Oceania Tour.-Winners:...
- 1st Stage 6 Tour of WellingtonTour of WellingtonThe Tour of Wellington or Trust House Classic is a road cycling race held in and around Wellington, New Zealand. The race exists of a men's competition over seven stages and is part of the UCI Oceania Tour.-Winners:...
- 1st Overall, Tour des Deux Sevres
- 1st Prologue
- 3rd Overall Tour de VineyardsTour de VineyardsThe Tour de Vineyards is a road cycling race held in and around Richmond, New Zealand. The race exists of both a men's and a women's competition over four stages.-Past winners:-References:*...
- 1st Stages 2
- 1st Stages 3
- 2nd
Olympic Games, 4000 m men's indiviual pursuit - 3rd
Olympic Games, Team pursuit
2009
- 2nd Stage 7 Tour of California
- 3rd Stage 14 Tour de FranceTour de FranceThe Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
2010
- 1st Overall, Tour of SouthlandTour of SouthlandThe Tour of Southland is a road bicycle racing stage race held in the Southland Region of New Zealand. From 2005 until 2009, the Tour of Southland has been part of the UCI Oceania Tour however the 2010 event was held as a National Tour. The Tour is held annually in November. The race is organised...
- 1st Stage 1 TTT Vuelta a EspañaVuelta a EspañaThe Vuelta a España is a three-week road bicycle racing stage race that is one of the three "Grand Tours" of Europe and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar. The race lasts three weeks and attracts cyclists from around the world. The race is broken into day-long segments, called stages...
- 1st Stage 6 Tour of Denmark
- 2nd Commonwealth Games2010 Commonwealth GamesThe 2010 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games, were held in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. A total of 6,081 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and dependencies competed in 21 sports and 272 events, making it the largest Commonwealth Games till date...
, 168 km men's Road Race - 4th Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne
- 10th Paris–Roubaix
2011
- 1st National Road Race Champion