The New Zealand cycling team has suffered a cruel blow in the build-up to this year's Commonwealth Games with Ally Wollaston likely unable to compete due to an injury suffered while riding for her professional road team.
The NZOC confirmed Wednesday Wollaston, riding for her Dutch pro road team AG Insurance-NXTG Racing, crashed on stage two of the Tour de France Femme yesterday and sustained an injury to her wrist.
"She is having further medical tests today but is unlikely to be able to compete on the track at Commonwealth Games starting on Friday," the NZOC said.
The 21-year-old, a former world junior track champion and current under-23 road champion, was meant to only race the first three stages of this year's Tour de France Femme before leaving to commit to the Commonwealth Games.
Wollaston had been selected for both the track, which starts this Friday in London, and the road race on the final day of competition in Birmingham.
Cycling New Zealand High Performance Director, Amy Taylor said they are currently in working through implications for the road and track teams but the biggest issue they face is that the reserve riders named for Birmingham were both men.
The biggest issue will be the void left by Wollaston in the women's 4000m team pursuit with Bryony Botha, Michaela Drummond and Emily Shearman with other female riders in the wider New Zealand cycling team unlikely able to step in.
The 4000m pursuit sees teams of four complete 16 laps of the velodrome while racing both the clock and opposition on the side of the track.
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