Roulston, 24, a professional cyclist and former Olympian, yesterday pleaded guilty to a charge of disorderly behaviour when he appeared before Judge Edward Ryan in the Ashburton District Court. The conviction comes after two convictions for assault last year, arising from an incident in a Christchurch bar where he was celebrating his selection for the Athens Olympics.

Counsel Jared Bell asked that Roulston be discharged without conviction and that his name be suppressed, as his client had been told that a further conviction would end his involvement with the Discovery team.

However, the judge said that if Roulston's situation was so perilous, he should have stayed out of trouble. The judge said Roulston must have known the consequences.

Sergeant Gini Welch said a scuffle involving 15 to 20 patrons broke out at 3am outside the Sail bar in Timaru on October 16.

Roulston was seen to throw a punch at an unidentified male.

Bell said Roulston was not directly involved in the flare-up and only acted to help a friend and the friend's girlfriend.

The judge declined to make a suppression order, fined Roulston $300 and ordered him to pay court costs of $130.

After his brief appearance, Roulston avoided reporters but issued a brief statement through Bell. It said he deeply regretted the incident and the way he acted.