Hayden Roulston signs with Team Columbia

New Zealand cyclist Hayden Roulston has signed a two-year contract with Team Columbia HTC.

Roulston said on his website he was "absolutely thrilled" to be joining Team Columbia, which is led by outstanding British sprinter Mark Cavendish.

"I've already had a lot of communication with the team so far, and I'm really excited - I just cannot wait for 2010," Roulston said.

"The team is so structured and this is exactly what I'm after... I know it will be a great season and it can't come soon enough."

New Zealand team-mate Greg Henderson is riding for Team Columbia in the Tour of Spain, last week winning the third stage in a bunch sprint. He has since been linked to a new British squad.

Roulston, a double track medallist at last year's Beijing Olympics, signed with the newly formed Swiss-based Cervelo TestTeam this year where he functioned mostly as a support rider to team captains Thor Hushovd and Carlos Sastre.

He rode his maiden Tour de France with Cervelo and claimed a third placing in the 14th stage from Colmar to Besancon.

Roulston said he would update on his proposed programme for 2010 with Team Columbia later, but had earlier indicated he wanted to contest the national road championships in Christchurch in early January.

The lure of taking the New Zealand champion's jersey back to Europe was strong, he said.

Julian Dean bore the New Zealand champion's jersey to Europe in 2007 and 2008 but the black jersey was absent from the European professional tour this year after Aucklander Gordon McCauley took the title.

"The jersey deserves to be in Europe and I want to wear it next year," Roulston said.

"I will go to (Christchurch) to win, no two ways about it.

"The race is on my training ground and it suits me well. It would mean a lot to have it the black jersey in Europe and I'll be ready for that course come January."

- NZPA