15 Jun 2012

Cheatley retires from cycling

12:01 pm on 15 June 2012

Beijing Olympic cyclist Cath Cheatley, who suffered serious injuries from a crash last year, has called a halt to her international career.

The 29-year-old from Wanganui will not be lost to the sport, as she takes up a full-time role as one of BikeNZ's regional development coordinators.

Cheatley harboured hopes of returning to the sport to qualify for the London Olympics after suffering multiple fractures to her hip in a crash, racing in Taranaki last October.

Despite good progress and a return to cycling, she has been unable to make sufficient gains to be a competitive international cyclist again.

Cheatley is one of the country's most successful female riders. A professional in the USA since 2008, Cheatley won a bronze medal in the points race at the 2007 world track championships and finished in the top 10 on the road at the 2009 world championships in Italy.

She was crowned the 2010 US National Road Series champion and is a three-time winner of the national road title.

She competed in the Beijing Olympics and the Melbourne and Delhi Commonwealth Games and her international victories included the Tour of Wellington in 2006, the Fitchburg Longsjo Classic, stages at the Nature Valley Grand Prix, Cascade Tour and Tour of Gila as well as the Altoona Criterium during her outstanding 2010 season.