Feb 4th, 10. The New Zealand team announced today to tackle the strong Australian contingent at the NZCT Women's Cycling Tour of New Zealand is one of the best ever put together.

Between the six of them the Kiwi team has medals from UCI World Championships, road and track, National Championship titles, European titles, US wins and many, many domestic victories.

The team for the tour which starts in the Wairarapa on February 24 includes World track champion Alison Shanks, NZ National Road Champion Rushlee Buchanan, US professionals Jo Kiesanowski and 2005 tour winner Cath Cheatley, European based Kaytee Boyd, and leading European professional, Linda Villumsen, who recently became a Kiwi.

Rushlee Buchanan

Linda Villumsen

Kaytee Boyd

Jo Kiesanowski

Cath Cheatley

Alison Shanks

Shanks won the 3000m individual pursuit at last year's world track championships, a feat which earned her a spot among the finalists for the women's title at the Halberg sportsperson of the year awards in Auckland this week. She is also a past National road champion and was 2nd in the time trial at last month's NZ National Championships.

Current National road and criterium champion Buchanan has rapidly become one of New Zealand's best young riders.  Joining her on this tour are her podium companions from the Elite National road race, 2nd placed Villumsen and 3rd placed Boyd.

Buchanan had an injury affected 2009 season in the US while racing for Team TIBCO with fellow Kiwi and NZCT teammate Jo Kiesanowski.   This year the 21 year old is heading back to the US with a new team, but she still has a Kiwi companion.  She's racing for Team Colavita/Baci with another NZCT teammate, Cath Cheatley.

Kiesanowski and Cheatley had great international seasons placing 3rd and 5th on the US ranks for 2009.  Cheatley went on to win a staggering Top 10 placing in the UCI World Road Championships.

Also at the World Championships was Linda Villumsen who was racing as the Danish National Champion at the time.  The many time national title-holder placed 3rd in the individual time trial.   Villumsen, who was 5th in the road race at the Beijing Olympics, has since officially become a Kiwi. In the NZ Championships she was 3rd in the time trial and 2nd in the road race. 

This tour will be Villumsen's first appearance in a New Zealand team, and with her impressive record she will be among the favourites to win the general classification. Villumsen, 24, rides for top professional team, HTC Columbia.

The quality of the New Zealand team will ensure it is among the most dominant in the tour.

The tour starts with a 98km stage from Martinborough to Masterton on February 24 before a new course for 2010 sees them going to Palmerton North over the Pahiatua Track.

On day three there is an 87km stage from Palmerston North to Ashhurst and a 11km time trial in Palmerston North, before the riders retrace their steps over the Pahiatua Track to return to Masterton.

The final stage is a criterium in Wellington on February 28.

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