Nicolas Roche Discussion Thread

[Netserk]

I think close to every blog by a cyclist is written by a ghostwriter.

 

[Kokoso]

I think close to every blog by a cyclist is written by a ghostwriter.

Why do you have such ugly avatar but?

 

[happytramp]

I really like his blog as well. But he isn't writing that himself, is he?! He does have a ghostwriter I think

Yes but there was a youtube video early on in the Vuelta and you could see him lying on the bed dictating it to the ghost writer. It sounded very close to what was written in the blog

 

[rantanplan]

All my admiration for Nicolas, He was suffering a lot yesterday in the Angliru! He did his best!

 

[murali]

Roche is reaping the benefit of changing team.

I am not criticizing his earlier team, but what i saw in TdF this year was a totally different Roche. By working as a domestique for TdF, he has improved his leadership skill a lot.

Roche was never a bad rider. he just wasn't having the right kind of ammo in the right sort of situations, or he couldn't apply properly in many situations. Now that he is in a team where he is a bit more secure(team has other people to rely on if he fails), he is performing a bit better.

I just hope he works on dealing with insane ramps, if wants to get any success in giro/vuelta

 

[Kokoso]

In the end he was probably only slightly better than in Vuelta 2010. He had better team and that's what enabled him to reach better GC placing - TT and stage 17 to Burgos. If not for the stage 17, Pozzovivo and Pinot would end in front of him probably.
Not better climber, but improved hi TT.

 

[hayzer114]

Great performance by Nicolas, a just reward for the hard work and disapointments he has endured over the past number of years. He showed great strength and endurance during the Vuelta and finally his talent is shining through. While Dan Martin has the better palmares in terms of wins Nico has shown he is the stronger of the two in Grand Tours. Its going to be interesting to see what Saxo do next year, Contador will be tour leader but Roche (Vuelta) Majka (Giro) and Roman (Tour) all did top ten's this season plus Rogers top 20 (Tour) and Cas (Vuelta). Why not put them all in the team to support Contador in the Tour. As for Nicolas its going to be interesting to see what he does next year. The giro starts in Ireland but he has only did it once in the past and he doesn't come into form until late in the year. Dan Martin has already said he's in for the Giro while Philip Deignan will be in for Sky. Does Nicolas do the Giro and then skip either the Tour or the Vuelta? If he did a giro/vuelta double he would have a more realistic chance of success but the Tour/Vuelta double is more likely given he doesn't come into form until late in the year. If he were to do the Giro he would have to get into form very early and maybe focus his targets on the Ardennnes which he could very well do well in as Sean Kelly has regularly argued.

 

[cocteau_ireland]

I think he should Giro/Vuelta it. He places a lot of pride in his country & therefore believe he'll really want to profile himself in huge local race. Saxo, if it lasts, has the depth to do without him;indeed some would argue he was no great shakes at Tour. Just has to get used to the cold for Giro! Anyway, chuffed to bits for him on a top 5 placing. Just at the point when everyone had given up on it!

 

[Jelantik]

I think Nicho should do the giro. I thnk contador got enough fire power with roman and rogers. I agree with some of the poster here. Moving to a new team has made him grown. If you read his interview throughout the vuelta, he seemed to finally click. He also attributed Bjarne for his success in the vuelta. I'm happy to see him finally get of the monkey off his back. I watched his video (from saxo video), he is such a great and humble rider. He was so thankful to the his team mate and the staff to help him achieve his result. Maybe we looked it's not far from 2010. But he didn't win any stage nor wearing a red jersey in 2010. He got 5 fighting good climbers (purito, valverde, horner).

I heard somewhere.. forget what is it.. if he can loose more weight, he could be competitive in the Tour. So hopefully, his career path is going upward from now on. He seems to understand how to be the leader and how to take a calculated risk. Good luck for him.

 

[gooner]

Nico in his column said Cycling Ireland allowed Riis in the car to give instructions.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/oth...st-went-out-the-window-29611776.html#comments

 

[gooner]

Speaking earlier this week to The Irish Times, his father Stephen – who won the Giro in 1987 – suggested that one way for Roche to work around any possible requirement by Team Saxo Tinkoff to ride both the Tour and the Vuelta a España would be to do a limited number of stages in the Giro.

However, when that scenario was put to Roche yesterday, he said that he would find it difficult to start the Giro knowing he wouldn’t finish.
“That would be a big compromise. I’m not sure that my head would accept that,” he said. “At the moment I think about the fact that I have done 11 Grand Tours and I haven’t abandoned one.
“I do agree that it would be the most reasonable solution if I want to be fit for the Tour, but then why not do something different and do Giro and Vuelta, or doing Giro and Tour, but doing both of them flat out? You have to bear in mind that my second Grand Tour of the season is always the better one, judging from my performances doing the Tour and the Vuelta in the past. So why not work it that way?
“That is why it will take me four weeks to think about it, as there is a lot of different information that I want to gather up. If I go to the Giro, I have to know why I do that. Do I go to the race just because it is in Ireland, or do I go to it in order to perform overall? There are a lot of different options that I have to think about with the team.”

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rug...rish-stages-of-giro-d-italia-1.1564699?page=1

 

[hayzer114]

Looking unlikely that he will ride at this rate so, it is disappointing in a way as it was a great opportunity for him to be leader once again but as he has stated he only peaks in the second half of the season. If Contador were to ride the Vuelta it could also be a good opportunity for Roche to go on and get a stage or two and he could still even do a top ten as he wouldn't be marked to the same extent as Contador. If saxo are to win the tour they have to go along the lines of Contador, Kreuziger, Roche, Rogers, Majka, CAS, Petrov, Tossato,Bennati.

 

[hoolaparara]

I know I'm a bit of a conspiracy nut and was already thinking being 'unexpectedly' overweight for the GT you were support and miraculously at your best ever for the one you were riding for yourself, but doesn't trying to end run around what the team wants in the quotes above sound like more supporting evidence that Roche was exactly where he wanted to be in the Tour this year and screw the team?

 

[gooner]

Nicolas talking about his training and racing programme.

In an effort to get some more warm weather training in, Roche has opted to stay on in Gran Canaria longer than most of his teammates.

“I was going to stay until the 2nd but I’m going to stay until the 10th of February now, which will mean I’ve been here a bit over a month.

“At the moment Daniele Bennatti and Roman Kreuziger are here and Manuele Boaro only left a few days ago. Benna is staying until Sunday and Roman is staying until the 12th so it will be just me and him then.”

http://www.stickybottle.com/latest-...-weeks-but-ive-still-high-hopes-for-the-giro/

 

[happytramp]

Nicolas talking about his training and racing programme.

http://www.stickybottle.com/latest-...-weeks-but-ive-still-high-hopes-for-the-giro/

Good read. Cheers.

 

[contessador]

Nicolas talking about his training and racing programme.



http://www.stickybottle.com/latest-...-weeks-but-ive-still-high-hopes-for-the-giro/

Very sensible training and racing plan. Best of luck to Nicolas Roche

 

[Butterhead]

Its nice to see the team takes so good care of him, very sensible to let him stay in the warm climate during his recovery.

I´m also excited to see what form Kreuziger will show up in at Oman, hes also going back to do altitude training instead of riding the Basque Tour, I hope the new approach the team have taken will pay of.

 

[hayzer114]

Anyone got any idea what Roche's programme is up until the giro/tour. I have seen that he is doing the Ardennes classics but is he getting in another stage race prior to the Giro which would be needed given his injury. After the Giro I think he is doing the Nationals in which I think he will definately win the TT and possibly the road race but its flat and may suit Sam Bennett.

 

[trevim]

I know I'm a bit of a conspiracy nut and was already thinking being 'unexpectedly' overweight for the GT you were support and miraculously at your best ever for the one you were riding for yourself, but doesn't trying to end run around what the team wants in the quotes above sound like more supporting evidence that Roche was exactly where he wanted to be in the Tour this year and screw the team?

I have thought the same myself last year and it seems that it'll happen again this year. Maybe that's a reason why he has only 1 or 2 professional victories. It doesn't look like he makes the most out of the opportunities he gets.

Anyone got any idea what Roche's programme is up until the giro/tour. I have seen that he is doing the Ardennes classics but is he getting in another stage race prior to the Giro which would be needed given his injury. After the Giro I think he is doing the Nationals in which I think he will definately win the TT and possibly the road race but its flat and may suit Sam Bennett.

Perhaps he's riding Romandie, it's usually a good prep race for the Giro. Or maybe even Trentino although I guess that means he has to skip some of the Ardennes classics. Not that he stands a chance there anyway and in his current shape he won't be of much help to Kreuziger.

 

[happytramp]

. After the Giro I think he is doing the Nationals in which I think he will definately win the TT

You think he'll beat Ryan Mullen? No chance.

 

[hayzer114]

I hadnt taught about Mullen who clearly appears to be a serious talent against the clock but I will stand by my statement for a number of reasons, number 1 he has shown improvements in his tt in the past 12 months culminating in 13th in the worlds and a solid vuelta tt. Number 2 he will be coming off the Giro his first grand tour of the year and if it anything to go by last year he should be hitting peak form to help Contador win the Tour.

 

[happytramp]

I hadnt taught about Mullen who clearly appears to be a serious talent against the clock but I will stand by my statement for a number of reasons, number 1 he has shown improvements in his tt in the past 12 months culminating in 13th in the worlds and a solid vuelta tt. Number 2 he will be coming off the Giro his first grand tour of the year and if it anything to go by last year he should be hitting peak form to help Contador win the Tour.

I actually hope you're right. I'd really love to see him win the road race though, fair play to Matt Brammier the last few years but I'd love to see the Irish Champions jersey get a bit of air time on the TV this year.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

I actually hope you're right. I'd really love to see him win the road race though, fair play to Matt Brammier the last few years but I'd love to see the Irish Champions jersey get a bit of air time on the TV this year.

Yeah, I get caught between wanting a rider on a small team to win, because it can be a small leg up in career terms, and wanting a rider who will be regularly on tv to have the jersey. Bennett is probably the best "compromise" candidate, though like the other pros he will have no team this year.

 

[hayzer114]

The road race will come down to the following (if they all participate)

Roche - strong all rounder with a good turn of pace, the race appears to be tough, not that hilly , will be leading into the tour so form should be good.

Martin - course doesnt suit his abilities, will be coming off the Giro so form should be there.

Bennett - the fastest man in the bunch, could well latch on to the An Post team for the added help, if it comes to a sprint he wins all day long.

Brammeier - tough nature of the route should suit him again.

Deignan - like Dan Martin i dont think it will be tough enough climb wise for him.

On another note it would be great to see the road race end on the Conor Pass or in Dingle up the main street. We would realy see a great battle between Roche, Martin and Deignan.

 

[Armchair cyclist]

The road race will come down to the following (if they all participate)

Roche - strong all rounder with a good turn of pace, the race appears to be tough, not that hilly , will be leading into the tour so form should be good.

Martin - course doesnt suit his abilities, will be coming off the Giro so form should be there.

Bennett - the fastest man in the bunch, could well latch on to the An Post team for the added help, if it comes to a sprint he wins all day long.

Brammeier - tough nature of the route should suit him again.

Deignan - like Dan Martin i dont think it will be tough enough climb wise for him.

On another note it would be great to see the road race end on the Conor Pass or in Dingle up the main street. We would realy see a great battle between Roche, Martin and Deignan.

Where are you finding route details?

I could be persuaded to visit my brother in Glengarriff for a route circling the Turner's Rock tunnels and Healy Pass.