Melrose (28), the CoachForce Biking Officer with Sport Otago, was a member of Roulston's team when he first contested the Tour of Southland in 1999.
This will be his fourth time racing in the event. His best performance was 15th in 2000. He also won a stage that year.
"It's just hard work," Melrose admitted. "I don't enjoy the race until I sit down at the end and see where I finished."
Melrose is better known for his pursuit racing on the track. He is a former New Zealand junior individual pursuit champion and was a member of the gold medal winning Otago teams pursuit team at Invercargill last year.
The only other serious Otago competitor is Ashley Whitehead (23), a College of Education student, who originally came from Te Anau and is also a mountain bike specialist.
Three big New Zealand names missing from the tour are professional riders Julian Dean, Tim Gudsell and Greg Henderson.
Dean and Gudsell are enjoying a breather after a long European season, while Henderson will marry Australian track rider Kate Mactier in Melbourne one week before the race.
Otago's experienced Chapman brothers, who usually compete in the race, have also opted out of the event.
Roulston will face some tough opposition as he seeks to complete a hat trick of wins.
A total of 115 riders in 23 teams are registered for the 860km race from November 3 to 8.
Among the contenders chasing a tour win are Hawkes Bay's former world junior road race champion Jeremy Yates (Subway), Waimate's Heath Blackgrove (Colour Plus) who is returning after a two-year absence, and New Zealand Olympic road racer Glen Chadwick (Raboplus).
The stiffest opposition for Roulston will come from Australian Travis Meyer (18) who won the Tour of Wellington last January in his first senior outing. He will make his Southland debut with the Calder Stewart team.
Roulston was attempting to win the Wellington Tour for the third consecutive time but was out-raced by Meyer's Australian team.
But it will be a more confident Roulston this time after winning the individual pursuit silver medal and a bronze in the team pursuit at the Beijing Olympics. He recently signed with the new Canadian professional team, Cervelo.
He is now coached by Craig Palmer and his scientific approach to training helped Roulston win his two medals at Beijing.
Meyer, winner of five world junior titles in the last two years, made his senior debut at Wellington and heads to Southland after gaining European road racing experience last winter.
The other members of Roulston's team are fellow Olympian Sam Bewley, Paul Odlin, Michael Torckler and Melrose.
Prize money for the Powernet-sponsored International Cycling Union classified race has increased by about $8000 this year and teams will be fighting it out in 85 money-spinning sprints.
The tour will take the field along the rugged southern coast, across the region's fertile plains, into the Lakes district and back to Invercargill.
Riders who have won the tour more than twice consecutively are Christchurch's Tino Tabak from 1965-67 and Brian Fowler who won six in a row, from 1985 to 1990.
