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Sunday's VeloBriefs: Roulston wins NZ road crown; Ricco takes Japan Cup
Commonwealth Games cycling silver medalist Hayden Roulston defied his doctors to win the New Zealand road title Sunday in Dunedin, two months after being told he has a life-threatening heart condition.
The 25-year-old claimed he was "100 percent cured" but refused to disclose details of his treatment.
Roulston was told by his cardiologist two months ago to quit riding after he was diagnosed with the heart disease arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia.
"I wanted to prove a point and show everyone that I was back," Roulston said after the race.
"So I rode really conservatively at the start and made sure I ate a lot of food and took a lot of fluid on, and come the crunch I was good to go."
Mike Flynn, New Zealand cycling's high performance director, said second and third medical opinions were being sought.
"This is about life and death," he said.
Roulston has reportedly been receiving the Japanese spiritual healing practice known as Reiki to treat the disease, which is thought by most medical practitioners to be incurable.
New Zealand national road coach Jacques Landry was impressed with the ride, but side stepped the medical issue of whether Roulston was fully fit.
"Time will tell how his condition develops," Landry said.
"You know as much about his future as I do."
Ricco takes Japan Cup
Ricardo Ricco of Italy survived a home-straight battle against four riders from rival teams to win the Japan Cup road race by 0.040 second on Sunday in Utsunomya.
The 23-year-old Saunier Duval-Prodir cyclist covered the 151.3km in three hours, 58 minutes, 18.123 seconds, with countryman Ruggero Marzoli (Lampre-Fondital) second and Russian Vladimir Gusev (Discovery Channel) third.
Results
1. Riccardo Ricco (I), Saunier Duval-Prodir, 3:58:18.123
2. Ruggero Marzoli (I), Lampre-Fondital, same time
3. Vladimir Gusev (Rus), Discovery Channel, s.t.
4. Stijn Devolder (B), Discovery Channel, s.t.
5. Sylwester Szmyd (Pol), Lmpre-Fondital, at 0:10
