Sad to see Nicolas Roche retire
Along with Dan its an end of a chapter in Irish cycling
I'll be greatly disappointed if he doesn't do a version of this:
Nico showing less leg than usual...
It’s not too late to pull out Nico
Did not see that coming...
Looks like you'll be seeing him alot on RTE
https://twitter.com/DWTSIRL/status/1469916036883533824?s=20
Good interview here with Nico
https://www.cyclingnews.com/features/retirement-chronicles-when-philippa-york-met-nicolas-roche/
Imagine an Ireland cycling team that had Nico for a coach!
Hope they don’t ask him about cycle Lane in Sandymount
Anton Savage on Newstalk will be interviewing Nico and Stephen Roche on Saturday morning (October 9th) sometime between 9 and 11am
Very happy with that. Would have hated to see him at one of the robot teams
One exits another enters
Ben Healy signed with EF
Heard him say spending more time on Roca sports in Cork and opening up a Roca sports shop in Galway, and commentry and written articles.
I cant see Nico being a DS though he would be a good one
he is very entrepreneurial and very good at PR
So TV and maybe race and rider development
Who will forget 'the baldy bollocks"
To me a very underrated rider who could and probably should have won more but as pointed out above going for GT placings in his early years didn’t fit with chasing GT stages.
He started and finished a GT every year between 2007 and 2021. He kept cycling interesting for me for a long time. I always wish he’d won a stage in the TdF but that won’t happen now. I loved his diaries, especially when he had a go at Gadret over his refusal to give him a wheel in 2010.
I hope he has a good retirement and we see him on Eurosport and in a team car
Awesome to watch him over the years, he will be missed!
Link
He dropped hints about that in the diary today... said he enjoyed the media work on the Vuelta with Eurosport more than riding the Tour of Poland :)
Said he considered DS role but couldn't face winter training camps (although the way it was written that wasn't a final decision).
Will be join team Eurosport?
I agree . Nico had a lot more talent than his results may suggest but his concentration at the beginning of his career on GT GC riding esp at the Tour I think cost him wins in one day and stage races.. He was never really built for the high mountains but he gave it his best and had a few very good Vuelta's and was 12th in the Tour (which would have been better if he had a TT bike earlier at Ag2R)
But woulda coulda shoulda
He had a very long career instead ..17 years in such a tough sport is commendable
A great, and immensely underrated rider. I feel he particularly shipped a lot of unwarranted criticism when he turned himself into one of the top domestiques in the world tour (which he was for a few years) and then road captain. As opposed to a lot, it was when he was so focused on GT GC that he probably sacrificed the most opportunities in my opinion, in week long stage races.
Anyway, a very solid career, and I'll miss rooting for him.
The last diary entry is up, but of course the indo put it behind a paywall.
https://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/cycling/i-still-love-cycling-but-it-doesnt-bring-me-what-i-want-anymore-40917699.html
First ever diary entry
https://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/ready-to-follow-in-my-fathers-slipstream-26548287.html
Nico at the TdF for AG2R is when I got really hooked on cycling and Im not sure it would have happened without him and later Dan.
im sure we will see him on TV as he looked to be gearing up for it the last few years and I think he would make a great coach or DS too
The SECOND last diary entry - last one tomorrow
Boy I am going to miss him
RTÉ show footage of him in Saxo gear. I thought I had gone back in time.
Aside from all the big days in the saddle, will miss the diaries, and his insights into the tactics of the races.
https://twitter.com/nicholasroche/status/1445063186101805070?s=19
Certainly is a sad day
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