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| Hayden Godfrey (Photo: Subway Avanti Pro Cycling) |
Former world Champion Hayden Godfrey is the latest big name to enter the Around Brunner elite road race this weekend.
The 2008 Omnium World Champion was knocked off his bike in Christchurch in February, putting his arm through a car windscreen which required surgery meaning he missed valuable training and race time and missed out on selection in the New Zealand Track team for last month's world championships.
He joins his Subway – Avanti Pro Cycling team mates and RaboPlus National Points Series leader and current national time trial champion Gordon McCauley, Matt Gorter, Eric Drower, Ryan Wills and Joe Cooper.
After the injury enforced break Godfrey raced the Forrest Graperide two weeks ago and says he always looks forward to racing over on the Coast, a region where he was bought up.
"Making the Commonwealth Games in October is a big goal and these events are good to help me build form."
Another late entry in the elite race, which is round five of the National Points Series and has 79 entries, is the strong Team Bici Vida, which features the experienced Paul Odlin, well performed sprinter and criterium specialist Alex Ray and National Points Track Champion Shem Rodger.
They join last year's surprise winner of the elite race and recent winner of the Canterbury masters 1 championship road race, Brent Allnut, Vital Signs Tour de Lakes winner James Gibson, National under 23 champion Tom Findlay and Benchmark Homes riders Josh Atkins, Will Bowman, James Early, Brett Dawber and Alex Frame and as leading male elite entries.
Other riders that should feature include former New Zealand representative Joe Chapman (Team Ultimo), 17 year old and well performed junior Caron Zero's Darcy Ellerm-Norton, Johno Gee and Marc Prutton (Team John Bull Cycles) who is returning to racing after a serious recent crash.
Nelson's Karen Fulton and Jeannie Kuhajek (Fresh Choice/Toxic Cycle team), Multi Sporter turned cyclist Sia Svendsen (Thule Cycle team), Benchmark Homes Cycle team members Aimee Burns and Laura Thompson, Cathy Hamer and Sequoia Cooper lead female elite entries.
