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Gilmore heads NZ tour list
Sydney rider Rochelle Gilmore will head a powerful Australian contingent in this month's Women's Cycling Tour of New Zealand.
Gilmore, a winner of the first two stages and the sprint classificationin last year's tour, will arrive in good shape, having competedstrongly in events across the Tasman through January and placing fourthin this week's Ladies Tour of Qatar.
Her internationalsuccesses have included winning two World Cup rounds and being a silvermedallist at the world track championships.
Gilmore will ridefor her Italian Lotto professional team in the tour from February24-28, alongside compatriots Josephine Tomic, Vicki Whitelaw, andRachel Neylan, and South Africans Lynette Burger and Ashleigh Moolman.
Around 30 Australian riders are expected to participate, most of themin four all-Australian teams, a national squad, another from theAustralian Institute of Sport, and trade teams, RACE and Prime Estate.
Tour director Jorge Sandoval said it is the largest number of Australians he has had in his women's tour.
Sandoval expects the Australians to provide many of the tour fireworks.
"They will arrive race-fit, and with the course a hilly one they will be well prepared for what lies ahead," he said.
