One world champion out but another one in

Feb 16th, 10. Alison Shanks will now not be competing in the NZCT Women's Tour but another World Champion will be - Amber Neben the 2008 World Time Trial Champion. 

Alison Shanks won't be racing the NZCT Women's Tour of NZ ©RoadCycling.co.nz

Shanks' primary goals this season are to help the team pursuit squad try to top the podium in Copenhagen as well as to defend her title in the individual pursuit.

After analysing her current form, Shanks and the team decided the five day women's tour would not be an ideal part of her preparation to achieve these goals.

The Otago rider surprised herself with where her top end form, and pedal strength were at as she powered to two gold medals and great times at the RaboPlus Elite Track Championships over the weekend.

Courteney Lowe will fill the vacant position in the New Zealand team.

While Shanks is out, another World Champion is in. Amber Neben, the 2008 World Time Trial Champion crowned in Varese, Italy is leading a powerful United States national team for the tour starting February 24.

Neben, 35, comes with a tonne of experience and results.  Back in 2003 she was the US road race champion, she won the Tour de l'Aude in 2005 and 2006, and the Route de France in 2007.

She was selected for the US team for the Beijing Olympics in 2008 where mechanical failure ruined her efforts. However, disappointment faded when she won the world time trial title soon after. That year she was placed second overall in the Giro de Italia, and in 2009 she won the time trial in the same event.  In last year's World Championships Neben placed 6th in the time trial event.

Also in the US team are Andrea Dvorak, Jessica Phillips, Janel Holocombe, Shelley Evans and Alison Starnes.

Starnes will be very familiar to two members of the New Zealand team.  She rode alongside Rushlee Buchanan and Jo Kiesanowski in US based Team Tibco last year.

This US squad looks likely to push the NZCT New Zealand team, Rochelle Gilmore's Lotto line-up, and the best of the Australian teams.

Tour director, Jorge Sandoval,  today announced other nations are also sending competitive teams to the tour;  Norway, China and Japan.

"The Norwegian, 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."

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