Hi there

Well im back in europe and although im really missing my wee boy, I am happy to be here.. The suns always shining, and im in great company so thats a good thing.. The travel over to europe was just crazy though. I was stuck in Bangkok for 24hrs as there was trouble with one of the engines on my plane.. Was a few tense moments but we obviously made it down safe, thank god.. Then a few missed connections only made things drag on even longer…. not ideal i tell you, but what can you do!

I am meant to be racing right now, but to be honest i am still battling a few inner demons.. Like I said before its been a tough season mentally, and I just dont feel in good enough space to be racing right now. I will get through this as I fully believe that any obstacle placed in your path can be overcome.. Its hard to say when, I just have to be patient, happy and get back to really enjoying riding my bike.. The last few days ive really enjoyed being out with the kiwi boys (and a mumbling pom named jez) so thats one big step forward.

As you all know, there is alot going in the press right now re certain things happening in the pro peleton. The death of Wouter Weylandt was a huge shock, and then in the next breath Xavier Tondo was also killed.. How sad is that.. My thoughts go out to both families in this tough time.. Life is so short you really have to make the most of it.

In the press also is the on going saga with one of the most recognisable names in world sport. Lance…… Look.. I think he is unreal, and it doesnt matter what happens or what anyone says, he will always be held high up there as the greatest. Yes he took alot from the sport, but he definitely has given back more than perhaps any other athlete ever has.. In my opinion, the past is the past, so why drag it all back up… If he goes down, they all should.

Anyway, thats my update. Sorry there isnt any real positive news. Small steps though is what im trying to achieve right now and so far I am making it to the next step which is great.. Ill be back soon.. And im sure someone said to me once that ‘good things take time’.

Thanks for reading and I really wanna say a huge thanks to the support you provide at different times during the year. You guys are great!

See you
Roly

Hi there,

Yes im still alive! But i have to say a big SORRY for the disappearing act of late, but i promise ill make more of an effort to update you on whats happening heading forward…

To be honest this last 2 months would have been the hardest of my life. i really didnt know exactly where i was headed as an athlete, let alone let you all know what i was going to do.. after starting the season so well, really on a new level both mentally and physically it all spiralled out of control when touching down in europe.. its been hard, bloody hard.. especially missing the races i dreamed about while preparing all off season. But that is all in the past now, and lets be honest….. its may, and the season runs through till october so there is still plenty of chances in the races coming up.. in saying all that, if things had have run smoothly who knows what would have happened…..

having not raced for so long my program has changed dramatically… it took quite a while for the shoulder to come back 100%. That along with all the disappointment really took its toll.. I still am a big believer in everything happens for a reason, but when its all going wrong its so difficult for anyone to see a positive… But, it meant my short stay in NZ has now become quite a long stay… meaning more time with my boy, moses… thats been fantastic, and we have bonded even closer again. i wont race forever, so for me this bonding is very important.. it also means that ive had quite a break mentally, meaning that i will now go back to europe with freshness and motivation which is huge in such a long season.. its given me time to think about life (deep i know!) and where i want to head in my career and now ive made some very important decisions everything is starting to become clearer.. you know that in life when there are many paths to take, and you dont know which one, life seems so draining.. now ive made the decision, i know what i want, how to get it, and its going to be great to work towards that…

i said the past 2 months have been tough and i really mean it.. i am not invinceable, and like some of you guys, one bad day can sometimes lead to 2 or to a week.. its quite overwhelming when you have many things going on in your head.. but from now on, well from a week ago its been back on, and focused on what is going to make me happy.. rather than what is potentially according to ‘others’ the right way to go..

i wont go into what i am now going to focus on cause there are a few things still in the air.. but there are a few options, and hey, who knows, they may all just fit together and the wheel start rolling smoothly.. that would be perfect in many ways.. then again, maybe not, but that is yet to be determined..

but one thing is sure, what i really want and am passionate about is now my focus.. when you dont have the passion and the drive achieving goals in any field isnt that exciting. and lets be honest, having fun in what you do is the KEY to everything…

so for my program.. i now race in berlin in new one day race. then i go to bayern rundfart which is a 6 day tour.. then to philly for the us pro champs and on to the tour of suisse.. now it could change but for now this is what i know.. after that who knows.. its down to performance, and this is what will decide what happens in july.. ive got work to do, but im now ready to go again.. its taken time, but its been time i really needed to settle the mind and re focus..

i will update again soon as to how things are going on the bike.. ill say that today i started pedalling nicely again which is great!!! and i enjoyed it even though it was raining..

here we go!

thanks for reading, and staying with me even though i have been out of touch..

ciao ciao
roly

media release
New Zealand road cycling champion Hayden Roulston will find out overnight how bad his injuries are after being hit by a car while training in Spain over the weekend.

The accident happened only metres from his home after he had just finished a training ride.

“We just didn’t see each other,” Roulston said. “We were both going slow which was probably a good thing. I was seconds from home.”

Roulston has injured his lower right side of his back and his left shoulder, which took the brunt of his fall. He has not broken any bones but has difficulty bending over and moving his left arm higher than his shoulder.

The double Olympic medallist will visit a doctor for further scans overnight and will then be in a better position to discuss his immediate racing plans with his HTC Highroad Professional Cycling team.

Roulston has had a challenging spring campaign in Europe which has been affected by illness and now the crash.

“It’s been a disappointing and really frustrating three weeks,” he said. “But I know things can only improve and I’ll know more about the extent of the injuries after another visit to the doctor.”

Roulston was due to race in the Spanish stage race the Vuelta Ciclista this week as a build up to this weekend’s prestigious Paris Roubaix one day classic, a race he finished 10th in last year racing ill.

“I had a good result in Paris Roubaix last year when I was really sick and know I could have gone much better than the 10th I got – it showed I could mix it with the best on those big one day classics and I was really looking forward to mixing it up again this year full fit.”

“Being sick recently means I have lost some condition which meant racing this week was important to find some race legs and rhythm for Roubaix. I really was on the way back to good form after recent challenges and was really looking forward to this weekend.”

Roulston was due to join his team on Thursday to prepare for Paris Roubaix on Sunday. He leaves Europe on Monday to travel home to New Zealand for a short break before heading to Boulder in the United States for some attitude training ahead of the Tour of California in May.

“I’m really looking forward to coming home for a break, relaxing for a bit, recharging, getting over this crash and refocusing on the rest of the season ahead. There is still a lot to aim for and I’m keen to get the year back on track.”

Hi again,

Well i start my final prep for paris-roubaix this monday in pais vasco.. its a week long race and i am going there to do 4 days of it, so that i have the much needed rythem for next sunday.

although disappointed to miss the bulk of the classics, this is going to be just what i need to get ready for the 260kms on the 10th of april. having not raced for a while you do miss the tempo of racing. the start stopping, the tenseness of the peleton etc. so these 4 days will give me all i need to be ready for roubaix.

im excited to race again. my level has come up very well as of the last week and i just know my body will be ready.

my goal in this race is not to go too deep, maybe a test one day on really going as far as i can go.. its a testing parcours with alot of climbs, but it will be great. getting across the line one day knowing that i had super sensations, strength and power will be my number one goal.. if it brings something else thats a bonus, but im not focusing on that at all..

so a quick update just so you all know.. so i fly thursday night to roubaix to join the team, then race sunday and back to chch on monday afternoon.. really excited to go see my boy.. i then head to the states on the 20th of april for a 3 week block of altitude training in boulder, then off to pre tour of california camp on may 7..

exciting times await.. will update as i can.

thanks for the support and all the messages.. i really appreciate it!

ciao
roly

Hey there,

Well its time for another update! Although not a heap of things to report about other than i am back training and getting back to a good level.. Its been a rather testing time trying to regain the rythem i lost while being sick, but im slowly finding my way..

Ive had alot of people asking when im going to be racing next.. A good thing is for sure i will ride the mid week race sheldprijs, and then roubaix. Im hoping for tour of flanders but we just have to see. I lost alot with the time off i had but im still hopeful that come roubaix i will still be good. Actually i am going to be good there regardless. my heart wants it, and when i have a goal in mind i do all i can to achieve it. Sometimes things happen for a reason, although at the time we dont know the reason, but what dont break us makes us stronger right!

Ive just got off the ergo after a very testing session. My numbers are good and thats a good sign. I know my body well enough now and i know that im not far off.. the mid week race im sure to ride will bring me up alot, and although only a few days before roubaix it will be just what the doctor ordered so that im ready to fight come the 10th of april..

Im just focusing on getting strong.. healthy and happy.. Its never easy when your battling, and its even harder when your away from family and close friends BUT i will be back. its only march too so alot of racing to come this year. I started the year firing, i had a great winter with lots of kms logged. The kms dont just disappear, but sometimes they hide from you.. so from now till roubiax ill be looking to find those magic legs i had!

Youve probably all been following the results lately of the european racing.. My team mate and good mate matt goss won Milan San Remo and what a win that was! It was pretty cool watching it and seeing someone who i room with very often hand it to the worlds best…. winning a race like that does a lot for the confidence, and with flanders this weekend he will be up for a big one for sure.. Not to mention his new salary he will get next year! the track worlds have also been on and ive been following the kiwi team like you all would have been too.. I was gutted for my best mates in the teams pursuit. They were not there for 4th they ended up with. let alone 3rd or even 2nd.. Finishing 4th in the year before the olympics may not look that great but it can also be a good thing too. Again we will go to the olympics as under dogs, and i feel that this result will probably make the team really look at things a bit closer to try and improve the team as a unit.. They are world class, there is no doubt there, but this time it didnt happen.. Will i be there? That remains to be seen.. But ill tell you that a big big part of me wants to be! It was great to see shane archibald run 2nd in the omnium.. although he should have won! he was running rings around those guys and was probably the biggest loser (no disrespect to the big mullet man!). it shows how important every event in the omnium is, and you have to be focused on every event to be consistant throughout.. even with a bad points race he still just about won.. but still, 2nd in the world in an olympic event is something to be proud of, and even more so knowing that he was the best there… the woman had a solid worlds. ali as good as ever just missing out on the world title.. jess coming up again a rider we call bobdog, world record holder, world champ etc etc.. it was always gonna be a tough ask, but he gave him a run so thats great.. jess has a huge engine and has a bright future… he won the 3 days of west flanders before heading to the track which was a massive result too…. great to see the sprinters knocking it up with the best.. theyve come along way and at the young age that they are will only get better.. good guys too!

well ill leave it there. for someone who didnt have alot to report ive gone a bit… time to focus.. stay with me people, im not done yet!!! ill be back to my best very soon and i still long for the day when i nail that big victory! gotta keep rooming with gossy i think, it will rub off on me sooner or later!

ciao ciao
roly

Hi there

This will be short but sweet..

Ive been very out of touch as of late, sorry for that.. I just crook as a dog.. i had a good strade bianche, then had a few days scouting the MSR parcours with the team, and then we headed to the start of tirreno adriatico.. I had a good teams time trial, really strong but after it i was aching so bad.. I said nothing, and just thought it was the first time on the time trial bike….

Stage one of tirreno was ok, still really sore and i was sleeping terribly. I hadnt slept good for a few days and when i woke up ready to start stage 2 i was just not my usual self. i slept 11hrs that night,so something was up.. i didnt start this day and i havent ridden since..

Now as i sit here writing this, i can tell you i am down in the dumps.. im crook as, been vomiting, aching and sleeping.. thats basically my day.. im not sure whats up, and im not sure when ill be training again, let alone racing.. im really disappointed i can tell you.

i will let you all know when im back up and running.. its a miserable feeling i have right now and praying i start to feel better asap..

thanks for reading.
roly

Hi there,

Big sorry for not getting this done earlier. guess i was just being lazy!

Het Volk was one wet, cold and miserable race.. 200kms on small roads, cobbles just what the fans love to see… As a cyclist though, a bit of rain may be welcomed by some to make the race harder, but not from kilometer 0 to 199! It was freezing, so cold that changing gears with electronic was even difficult!

My race was pretty good considering it was my first time in the cold weather all year, i mean, i dont think ive raced under 25 degrees for a while. I wasnt super like i would have liked to be, but it was a good enough showing for my first hit out over the cobbles. I dont think i had enough gear on though, like i said, it was that cold. its so important to stay warm on days like this and i guess more so when its your first time in 0 degrees for the year. lesson learnt.

I felt strong, but no real punch. That comes down to a few things but again probably just the lack of warm gear i had on.. I finished in a group with the favourites but i sit here still kicking myself over the opportunity i feel was there for the taking.. i just didnt back myself…

Over the haaghok cobbles the last time of 3 i was in good position. we turned left and headed for the last few climbs.. one being the leberg which is where flecha went away.. he just rolled off the front with 2 others and away they went. i had momentum, i should have gone too, but i hesitated.. i decided to stay with the favourites of the race when really i should have just gone full gas and seen what happened.. turns out, noone chased flecha, he went to the first group, and my group all just looked at each other.. it was that moment of hesitation that cost me a good result. im not saying i could have won, but atleast i would have been in with a shot had i decided to go too.. bit disappointing but again a lesson learnt..

the next day we had kuurne.. but i wont go into it heaps.. startred off bad with a broken saddle even before the start.. i never got going with the new saddle, plus tired legs from the day before. it wasnt the same saddle and anyone who knows me will know that i notice a mm difference, let alone a totally new brand of saddle!

its been a pretty hard few days following all the stuff that is happening in chch. i guess ive also felt the pain that the cantabs are feeling too. knowing i have my son, my family in chch isnt easy. its hard enough leaving them all to come to europe let alone knowing that the biggest natural disaster had just happened.. my family are all safe but i guess its affected me somewhat.. i really feel for all the people back home and it breaks my heart to see the pain that some families are going through right now.. my thoughts are with you all and i hope chch can pull through this.

next up for me is strade bianche on saturday. then i stay on in italy for 2 big races being tirreno adriatico, and milan san remo. i then head home for 3 days and im gone for the rest of the classics season as i head to belgium.

the exciting races are coming and i have big dreams and goals i want to achieve.. stay tuned for what i hope is a special spring where the nz jersey in at the front of the race!

ciao ciao
roly