Dean chases hat-trick of titles in RaboPlus National Road Cycling

A third straight national title this weekend means more to Julian Dean than his impending clash against seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong next week.

Dean reveres the opportunity to don his national championship jersey in the major cycling events like the Tour de France – the honour for the winner of the weekend’s RaboPlus New Zealand Road Championship in Te Awamutu.

While Dean heads to Adelaide next week for the Tour Down Under which will see the much-publicised return of Armstrong to the competitive ranks after his retirement two years ago, the Rotorua rider is focussing more on Sunday’s race.

He will face a major challenge from fellow Europe-based professionals Tim Gudsell (Francaise de Jeux) and former world track champion Greg Henderson (Team Colombia), who will also take part in the Tour Down Under.

Other major challenges will come from Beijing team-mate Glen Chadwick and a host of other top performers including Athens Olympian Robin Reid, professional Jeremy Vennell, the experienced Gordon McCauley and national series leader Jeremy Yates.

Less is more for Dean this time around, tailoring his training more specifically for the one-day 180km challenge at Te Awamutu, rather than the rigours of the six-day Tour Down Under.

“This race means a lot to me. It’s great to be able to wear the New Zealand jersey in the major races in Europe and I think it’s also helped give our country and our sport some profile with the coverage we get,” Dean said. “It brings some kudos and identity in the peloton in the major tours.”

The highlight was when the national champions of each nation were lined up at the front of the field for the start of last year’s Tour de France.

Dean said that the Tour Down Under presents an early season start and it was important not to be over-cooked at this time of year.

“I’ve actually done a bit less than last year. It’s a long season and you do not want to be over-cooked at this stage. However the riders from Australia and New Zealand will be better prepared than most of the Europeans. It’s more of a chance to kick the year off and get a tour under your belt.”

He is also concerned that the Te Awamutu course, with less climbs than the last two years in Wellington and Hawkes Bay, will present his major hurdle.

“The tougher the course then the better for me really because gradually riders get worn down. But this one only has some short and relatively easy climbs. It will offer the chance for a breakaway to stay away.

“I think it will suit Hendy (Henderson) with his great track background and Tim Gudsell will be primed up to do well in his home town.

“There are plenty of other riders who could win. I have a feeling that the breakaway will be the real danger this year as the field probably won’t want it to come down to a sprint.”

He is disappointed that Heath Blackgrove, runner-up in the past two years, has not returned from overseas and Hayden Roulston has bypassed the race.

“They would have added more calibre to the field, and in some ways that actually makes it a bit easier for me.”

Dean will return to his base in Spain with his family in February to prepare for the main part of the season, primed that the new Garmin Slipstream team, who enjoyed a solid 2008 rookie season, will be a stronger unit this year.

The race is also missing the BikeNZ track team including Olympians Sam Bewley, Wes Gough, Peter Latham, Marc Ryan, Jesse Sergent, Alison Shanks and Catherine Cheatley, who head to the UCI World Cup track event in Beijing as preparations towards the world championships in March.

The championships begin on Friday with the time trial for elite men, under-23 and elite women, with the women’s road race over 120kms on Saturday and the men’s and under-23 road race over 180kms from 10am on Sunday.