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Things I had forgotten about Stephen Roche...

  • 10-01-2011 11:32am
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 631 ✭✭✭


    1/ That he turned up late for the '91 TDF prologue TTT and was disqualified (not before he chased after his Ton Ton Tapis team to try and catch them, effectively riding a solo TTT).

    2/ That he won the 9th stage of the '92 TDF.

    3/ That he finished his career with Carrera.


«1

Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,454 ✭✭✭mloc123


    4/ That he owns a hotel in the south of France... doen't mention it much


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,489 ✭✭✭iMax


    He likes cheese


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 631 ✭✭✭Fender76


    He likes cheese

    That must have been why he was late... he was all whacked out on Galtee....


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,012 ✭✭✭kincsem


    Fender76 wrote: »
    1/ That he turned up late for the '91 TDF prologue TTT and was disqualified (not before he chased after his Ton Ton Tapis team to try and catch them, effectively riding a solo TTT).
    And he said "you can not disqualify me, you can only eliminate me" before he set off after them afair.


  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 11,669 Mod ✭✭✭✭RobFowl


    tonton_91.jpg

    :eek:


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  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 11,669 Mod ✭✭✭✭RobFowl


    In his last year at Carerra he was teammates with both Claudio Chiapucci and Marco Pantani.


  • Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 78,456 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    There are loads of things I have forgotten about Stephen Roche - I've no idea what they are though...:)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,505 ✭✭✭moby2101


    mloc123 wrote: »
    4/ That he owns a hotel in the south of France... doen't mention it much[/QUOTE

    Hi

    Roches Hotel, The Roche Marina Hotel is in Villeneuve-Loubet in the South of France between Antibes and Nice.
    He manages it himself and is 100% hands on.

    He's usually out on the bike in the early morning but if you drop by for a chat or whatevever he'll always say "Hi" and sign an autograph or pose for a photograph.
    He's an absolute Gent


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20,296 ✭✭✭✭Jawgap


    Sean Kelly, Martin Earley and Paul Kimmage were on the Irish team with him in Austria when he won the World Championship


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 631 ✭✭✭Fender76


    I don't think he ever got to wear his rainbow jersey... except maybe for the Niassan Classic....


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  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 11,669 Mod ✭✭✭✭RobFowl


    Jawgap wrote: »
    Sean Kelly, Martin Earley and Paul Kimmage were on the Irish team with him in Austria when he won the World Championship

    Don't forget Alan McCormack .....


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 237 ✭✭Muller_1


    As well as winning the trebble in 1987 he was 3rd overall in the Tour de France in 1985

    When he won his first stage in the 1985 Tour he wore a skin suit on the road stage

    http://www.ina.fr/sport/cyclisme/video/I00010254/victoire-de-stephen-roche-au-sommet-de-l-aubisque.fr.html


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20,296 ✭✭✭✭Jawgap


    RobFowl wrote: »
    Don't forget Alan McCormack .....

    Had to look him up and found this........

    ......there is hope for us all yet!!!!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,831 ✭✭✭ROK ON


    When he won the Giro he had only one teammate helping him. (eddie schepers IIRC). He got assistance from an Robert Millar in the mountains. Millar was an amateur teammate of Roche when at ACBB.
    The pivotal event in that years Giro became known as The Marmolada Massacre.
    Millar for his troubles won the mountain jersey.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 631 ✭✭✭Fender76


    Thats right... I remember that.. Remember the way the Italian fans treated him because he had the jersey over his Carrera teammate Viscotti or whatever his name was... they spat at him and booed him... Italians... but he won them over in the end...


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,268 ✭✭✭irishmotorist


    He used to be a milkman!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 180 ✭✭Collumbo


    He used to be a milkman!

    Not only that... he worked my old Milkman! (who passed away 13 years ago). He had good memories. Second hand information of course so I don't know if it's true, but he told me how he remembered Stephen riding off to Galway on a Friday after work... and he'd ride back the following day. You'd have to ask Stephen of course if that's true.. but it probably is if ya think about it! This would have been the year before he went to ACBB


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,261 ✭✭✭Junior


    He rallied a 205 GTi for a while..


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,012 ✭✭✭kincsem


    He used to be a milkman!
    Delivering to our house.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 193 ✭✭jiffybag


    He was the last man to win the Rainbow jersey whist using toe-clips and straps.


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  • Moderators, Sports Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 11,394 Mod ✭✭✭✭Captain Havoc


    He was the first person to appear in colour on the front page of the Irish Times.

    https://ormondelanguagetours.com

    Walking Tours of Kilkenny in English, French or German.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 75 ✭✭templer27


    He was brilliant at time trials,extremely brave and wore his heart on his sleeve.Great desender bad sprinter read a race very well,had a brilliant pedaling style.I think Alberto Contador is quite similar in some regards,Contador is a better climber though.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,410 ✭✭✭easygoing39


    Junior wrote: »
    He rallied a 205 GTi for a while..

    And a Ibiza and Cossie Escort


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 528 ✭✭✭michaelm


    He used to be a milkman!

    Wasn't he also a plumber?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 168 ✭✭Jeffm587


    Fitter turner I think


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,653 ✭✭✭sy


    What I loved about Roche was his ballsey approach to riding. He was always willing to attack.... anybody remember the 1985 worlds


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,625 ✭✭✭happytramp


    ROK ON wrote: »
    When he won the Giro he had only one teammate helping him. (eddie schepers IIRC). He got assistance from an Robert Millar in the mountains. Millar was an amateur teammate of Roche when at ACBB.
    The pivotal event in that years Giro became known as The Marmolada Massacre.
    Millar for his troubles won the mountain jersey.

    When it's said he had to enlist a group of riders on opposing teams to form a protective ring around him during this stage, what exactly does it mean? Protect him from whom?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 528 ✭✭✭michaelm


    Jeffm587 wrote: »
    Fitter turner I think

    Correct actually now that I think of it.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 631 ✭✭✭Fender76


    When it's said he had to enlist a group of riders on opposing teams to form a protective ring around him during this stage, what exactly does it mean? Protect him from whom?

    From the Italians basically.... Roche's Italian teammate Roberto Viscentini was favourite to win on home ground but Roche was the better rider and found himself in the malliot rose so he had to fight all the way to the finish against the Italian riders who wanted to to sabotage his race in favour of a home win....


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,679 ✭✭✭bcmf


    He came to visit us in school back in'85 (I think). He rode with Orwell afaik and a classmates father trained him. His son (the trainer's son) was in my class and brought us in to visit on trip home.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,625 ✭✭✭happytramp


    Fender76 wrote: »
    From the Italians basically.... Roche's Italian teammate Roberto Viscentini was favourite to win on home ground but Roche was the better rider and found himself in the malliot rose so he had to fight all the way to the finish against the Italian riders who wanted to to sabotage his race in favour of a home win....

    That's crazy! You could make a film out of his 1987 season!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,696 ✭✭✭trad


    He won the H Willaims Grand Prix the year after I won it.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 587 ✭✭✭L'Enfer du Nord


    Fender76 wrote: »
    From the Italians basically.... Roche's Italian teammate Roberto Viscentini was favourite to win on home ground but Roche was the better rider and found himself in the malliot rose so he had to fight all the way to the finish against the Italian riders who wanted to to sabotage his race in favour of a home win....

    Viscentini had won the previous year I think. AFAIK he didn't actually finish in 1987 afrer crashing out.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 587 ✭✭✭L'Enfer du Nord


    iMax wrote: »
    He likes cheese
    I had a Roche poster c.1987, you had to collect six cards with photos, which you could glue on as inserts to the main poster. Fairly sure the cards came in Galtee packets.

    Didn't he also hand Coer de Loin Cheese awards for the most combative ride in the Tour for a while.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 587 ✭✭✭L'Enfer du Nord


    Muller_1 wrote: »
    As well as winning the trebble in 1987 he was 3rd overall in the Tour de France in 1985

    When he won his first stage in the 1985 Tour he wore a skin suit on the road stage

    http://www.ina.fr/sport/cyclisme/video/I00010254/victoire-de-stephen-roche-au-sommet-de-l-aubisque.fr.html

    I remember seeing an post stage interview with his DS the week before this. When it was put to DS that Hinault had the tour sewn up. He said that Roche would win the Aubisque stage and take the yellow. This kind of brovado is often followed by crash and burn. But altleast he was half right.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 528 ✭✭✭michaelm


    His most famous quote? When asked by Gaybo, when he appeared on the Late Late with Sean Kelly, how they managed with the language barrier abroad, he replied: "With my broken French and Sean's broken English - we get by"!


  • Moderators, Sports Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 11,394 Mod ✭✭✭✭Captain Havoc


    Probably was Galtee, we used to have a tea-towel with him on it from them.

    https://ormondelanguagetours.com

    Walking Tours of Kilkenny in English, French or German.



  • Closed Accounts Posts: 426 ✭✭High Nellie


    Jawgap wrote: »
    Sean Kelly, Martin Earley and Paul Kimmage were on the Irish team with him in Austria when he won the World Championship

    We'll never see the likes of an Irish team like that again.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,653 ✭✭✭sy


    Muller_1 wrote: »

    When he won his first stage in the 1985 Tour he wore a skin suit on the road stage

    http://www.ina.fr/sport/cyclisme/video/I00010254/victoire-de-stephen-roche-au-sommet-de-l-aubisque.fr.html
    Thanks for that link Muller_1. Not often you see 2 Irish men finishing 1st and 2nd on a tough climb in the Pyrenees. Roche had a great Tour and season in 1985. He was very agressive in the Pyrenees, and really had a go at the La Vie Claire super team of Hinault and LeMond. He caused a lot of damage on the previous stage from Toulouse to Luz Ardiden and if Hinault didn't have LeMond to chase him down he definitely would have taken the jersey that day. LeMond was definitely the strongest rider in the La Vie Claire team but Hinault was going for 5 and team orders kept a very disgruntled LeMond on rein. (Roche was in similar position on the Giro in '87 as mentioned elsewhere but he decided to ignore team directives :))
    The following season he had the infamous crash which damaged his right knee. I really think this was a major blow to his overall palmares as he struggled for a long time after that.
    He finished an hour and a half behind LeMond in the 86 Tour!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,696 ✭✭✭trad


    There used to be a Stephen Roche Grand Prix around the housing estate in Dundrum where he is from. There's also a plaque in Dundrum to commerate the 3 in a row. A french photographer Nutant was arrested there after a scuffle when the Nissan Classis went through Dundrum. He knocked a Garda's hat off to get a better shot.

    He was utterly astounded when Kelly beat him in the epic Carrick - Clonmel TT. I had the pleasure of being one of his outriders on the TT. Genuinely nice guy, had a pint with him at Kelly's retirement race in Carrick.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 260 ✭✭mo_bhicycle


    I love this thread ... keep em coming.
    It'd be great if somebody knowledgeable could start one about Kelly too, being totally clueless I can't :P


  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 11,669 Mod ✭✭✭✭RobFowl


    trad wrote: »
    There used to be a Stephen Roche Grand Prix around the housing estate in Dundrum where he is from. There's also a plaque in Dundrum to commerate the 3 in a row. A french photographer Nutant was arrested there after a scuffle when the Nissan Classis went through Dundrum. He knocked a Garda's hat off to get a better shot.

    That race is still run every year.
    Nicolas Roche won it in 2008 (I think)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,696 ✭✭✭trad


    In his early days Kelly was known to nod in reply to a question on a radio interview. He was also asked about riding on the continent " the flat stages are hilly, the hilly stages are mountainous and the mountain stages are oh my jaysus".


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,544 ✭✭✭marwelie


    trad wrote: »
    There's also a plaque in Dundrum to commerate the 3 in a row.

    The legend that was Joe Daly (RIP) arranged the fundraising for that monument to be put up at the crossroads in Dundrum. Joe sold Stephen his first bike as far as I know. It was subsequently moved to outside the Mill Theatre in the Dundrum Town Centre.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,696 ✭✭✭trad


    RobFowl wrote: »
    That race is still run every year.
    Nicolas Roche won it in 2008 (I think)

    I Commissaired that event a couple of times in the early 90's in the Dalby/ Sheehan era. From memory prize money then was around £500, not bad for an hour plus 5 laps.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,812 ✭✭✭C3PO


    RobFowl wrote: »
    That race is still run every year.
    Nicolas Roche won it in 2008 (I think)

    Well worth a look if you're in the area when it's on - usually a midweek evening during the summer! You can really get close to the action!


  • Moderators, Sports Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 11,394 Mod ✭✭✭✭Captain Havoc


    I think it's the same week as the nationals

    https://ormondelanguagetours.com

    Walking Tours of Kilkenny in English, French or German.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 236 ✭✭dermur


    There's a dog on the road!

    There's a dog on the road!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 426 ✭✭High Nellie


    And he won a Rás. Was it 1972? It was one of his last amateur races at home and it was the first 'unity Rás' where the two federations (or maybe 3?) raced together.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 303 ✭✭paddymacsporran




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