Roche gets new contract at AG2R

Chips Lovell

Good news for Nicolas Roche. Even though he had another year to run on his contract, AG2R have offered him a new one on the back of his Tour performance:

Roche's manager Andrew McQuaid said that the rider will become a leader of the team in the coming years. "Vincent Lavenu really likes Nicolas and thinks he is a good prospect for the future," he told Cyclingnews. "He wanted to sign him for two more years. He sees him as being a team leader, will build a team around him. Nicolas had approaches from other teams but that's normal as he had a very good year."

SACH Central

I wonder will Philip Deignan also get an improved contract from Cervelo, following on from the Vuelta.

I wonder is it fair to say that Cervelo took a 'chance' signing him. As such, he would be on a pretty basic salary. I'd say there are also plenty of teams interested in him too. He's well due a 'top up' now though!

barrabus

I have to say I am a bit surprised he took it. He was quite critical of the team in his irish independent pieces during the tour .

I had a theory he was going to sign for raido shack as he said he got on well with Lance plus his old boy also sounds pally with lance... obviously I had it all wrong.

JacksonHeightsOwn

barrabus wrote: »

I have to say I am a bit surprised he took it. He was quite critical of the team in his irish independent pieces during the tour .

I had a theory he was going to sign for raido shack as he said he got on well with Lance plus his old boy also sounds pally with lance... obviously I had it all wrong.

i thought the exact same

fairplay to Roche though, it`d be great to see him progress to team leader in the future as well, good times

Caroline_ie

... quick one: I thought I had read that back in 2005 Roche had given up his irish passport because dual citizenship was not possible?

Blowfish

Caroline_ie wrote: »

... quick one: I thought I had read that back in 2005 Roche had given up his irish passport because dual citizenship was not possible?

He got it back

Chips Lovell

barrabus wrote: »

I have to say I am a bit surprised he took it. He was quite critical of the team in his irish independent pieces during the tour .

I had a theory he was going to sign for raido shack as he said he got on well with Lance plus his old boy also sounds pally with lance... obviously I had it all wrong.

Being critical of the team doesn't necessarily mean he wanted to leave, rather that he wanted them to focus more on his needs, which they're obviously doing.

Would find it hard to see him going to Radioshack, given that they'd probaby have a very different ethos to the French teams he's always ridden for.

L'Enfer du Nord

el tonto wrote: »

Being critical of the team doesn't necessarily mean he wanted to leave, rather that he wanted them to focus more on his needs, which they're obviously doing.

Would find it hard to see him going to Radioshack, given that they'd probaby have a very different ethos to the French teams he's always ridden for.

Different preperation too...

I'm kind of surprised too, I also wondered why he wasn't selected for the Vuelta. Perhaps he didn't want to ride it anyway. It'll be interesting if Roche turns out to be more successful than any French rider in the years to come will they claim him as one of their own. No reason why they shouldn't, not sure what his oppinion on the subject would be.

barrabus

el tonto wrote: »

Being critical of the team doesn't necessarily mean he wanted to leave, rather that he wanted them to focus more on his needs, which they're obviously doing.

Being publiucly critical of the team can often mean you take the decision about leaving out of your hands. Think along the lines of Jaap Stam - Man Utd /Roy Keane - Man Utd.

SACH Central

L'Enfer du Nord wrote: »

Different preperation too...

Please, let's not have that debate again .....but I'm up for it if you really want to do some la bashing!

L'Enfer du Nord wrote: »

I'm kind of surprised too, I also wondered why he wasn't selected for the Vuelta. Perhaps he didn't want to ride it anyway.

It would be asking too much of a rider Roches age to do 2 grand tours in one year especially as the Vuelta has slipped down the pecking order somewhat.

L'Enfer du Nord

SACH Central wrote: »

Please, let's not have that debate again .....but I'm up for it if you really want to do some la bashing!

On a Friday afternoon, I think not...

Zipp101

French teams pay good wages..

But are terrible at looking after their riders eg.bad training camps and working on rider development. The riders on French teams get feck all press outside France too.

RobFowl

Zipp101 wrote: »

French teams pay good wages..

But are terrible at looking after their riders eg.bad training camps and working on rider development. The riders on French teams get feck all press outside France too.

+1 Poor training programs, concentration on the mickey mouse "coupe de france" series and high wages for medicore riders.
Heard a strory from a chief commisaire about how an unnamed (cough cofidis cough) French team who missed a break during a stage of the TDF but that night they all celebrated with wine at the dinner table becuase the food was good and the scenery spectacular :eek:

Junior

Being publically critical of your team has to be backed up by performance, and this year Roche did that in TdF. Otherwise your just a mouth, I'm surprised that they didn't target something like the ToB as a test run for him as a 'team leader' short, multi stage race which they could have used, but then again maybe they didn't have the squad for that..

I would like to see him move on, I didn't expect him to move to the Shack, I couldn't see him fitting into a plan there, The Shack is to be Lances last shot at the TdF, so he's going to assemble a team to serve him next year, after that I presume Andy Schleck will take over as Leader for the tours..

SACH Central

RobFowl wrote: »

+1 Poor training programs

I'm sure Roche can get/has a personal coach. It seems to be the way to go in pro cycling at the minute. I'm sure his 'auld lad' can give him a dig out in that regard too.

Maybe Roche is doing a 'Wiggins' on it. Ok, he has an Irish license, but he French in every other way and fair play to him. I'm not knocking him for that. He wants to ride for a French team. AG2R are probably the most 'stable' of the French teams at the moment. B Box only decided to continue their sponsorship for next year after their 2 TdF stage wins. I'm sure Roche can get/has a personal coach. It seems to be the way to go in pro cycling at the minute.

RobFowl wrote: »

...medicore riders:eek:

Are they mediocre, or is it racing 'a deux vitesses' ? I can't remember the last time a French rider tested positive, for any substance

Junior

SACH Central wrote: »

Ok, he has an Irish license, but he French in every other way and fair play to him.

jesus I wouldn't say that lad, being irish means a lot to Nicholas, I've seen the effort he put in to win the National TT a couple of years back down here in Waterford, also the pride he took in winning the Road Race as well..

I've a signed print here from him, that my dad took of him in that TT he used it on his site. I don't think he's a 'plastic paddy' in anyway shape.

Captain Havoc

There's nothing wrong with being proud of both your nationalities. If I'm right Nicolas Roche went to secondary in Blackrock. I've worked with French Irish (one guy could speak Irish but not English so we just spoke French) and I have Irish/American/French family in Paris and they are proud of their backround.

sy

SACH Central wrote: »

.
Are they mediocre, or is it racing 'a deux vitesses' ? I can't remember the last time a French rider tested positive, for any substance

+1 on that. The reason they only have 5/6 men in the road race on Sunday.

He will be more at home on a French team and yes the French love him too. Radio Shack would be a disaster for Roche, just another workhorse for Lance. Its great that AG2R may have plans to build a team around Nicholas and I really think he can win a Paris Nice or Dauphine or Tour of Switzerland in the next 2/3 years. Other good news is that UCI granted AG2R a full Pro Tour licence, allowing them to compete in all of the sport's big races as of next season for 3 years.