The New Zealand national team should challenge for overall honours in the women's Cycle Tour of New Zealand which starts in the Wairarapa today.
This is the only UCI registered women's road race in Oceania and has again attracted the best from New Zealand and Australia along with the USA National Team headed by former US national road race and World time trial Champion Amber Neben.
New Zealand's national squad features an impressive roster that includes Joanne Kiesanowski, Rushlee Boyd, Catherine Cheatley and Dane Linda Villumsen, who will be making her debut in BikeNZ colours.
Villumsen, who races for HTC-Columbia, announced in January that her request to race on a New Zealand license, instead of the Danish license she's previously used, had been finalised.
Today's first stage is a 98km ride from Martinborogh to Masterton.
