Nicolas Roche gulps in the air as he battles for the line on stage 2 of the Vuelta. He said a mistake when attacking cost him his one chance for stage victory and the race lead (Photo: Sirotti)
By Brian Canty
Nicolas Roche has publicly praised team leader Chris Froome for encouraging him and allowing him go on the attack on the final climb of Sunday’s stage 2 at the Vuelta.
The Briton was repaying the Irishman for the work he had done towards his Tour de France victory last month.
And memories of how Roche won the same stage two years ago and took the leader’s red jersey (later on stage 8) were obviously to the fore in his team leader’s mind.
“With four kilometres to go Chris told me, ‘Nico, follow the attacks if you want,'” Roche explained after the finish.
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“The big guys can afford to give me 30 or 40 seconds at this stage. It’s an extremely hard Vuelta.”
Team Sky’s Roche followed the early attacks up the cat 3 climb to the finish after 165km in the saddle.
Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin) instigated what proved to be the winning move just inside 3km remaining.
Roche and Nairo Quintana (Movistar) went after him with Louis Meintjes of MTN-Qhubeka for company, though the young South African soon lost his place out front.
From the fragmenting peloton shot eventual stage winner Esteban Chaves (Orica GreenEdge).
He flew up the climb and caught and passed Daniel Martin (Cannondale-Garmin) who was on his own trying to bridge across to the leading trio.
As soon as Chaves caught the leaders he went to the front, with Quintana the surprise casualty slipping off the back of the leading group.
And while Roche attacked with 500m remaining looking for glory, Chaves and Dumoulin covered his acceleration.
Chaves then countered with a kick for the finish line and Roche was slightly distanced and had to settle for 3rd place; still a fantastic result.
Roche also wears the combined classification leader's white jersey on Monday's stage 3, meaning he came away from stage 2 far from empty handed.
Though he is 3rd in the combined classification behind Chaves and Dumoulin; Chaves wears the race leader's jersey and Dumoulin wears the green points jersey meaning the white jersey switches to Roche.
“I had nothing left when Chaves attacked,” Roche said of the stage end. “I gave it my all and they were just better than me but I’m feeling good.”
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Because Saturday’s team time trial was removed from the general classification, Roche is now 3rd overall just 15 seconds down on Chaves.
The Colombian gained 8 seconds on Roche on the road and also took a time bonus for the stage win.
Dumoulin is in 2nd, just 5 seconds off Chaves with Martin 4th on the stage and 4th overall at 24 seconds.
“I just followed the moves; if I waited for the normal later attacks it would have been harder so I went early,” Roche explained of how he decided to tackle the short steep final ascent to Caminito del Rey.
“Chris told me not to hesitate to follow the early moves and I just followed them and said I’d see what happens.
“It was good to have Chris giving me that freedom today.
“I was surprised to see Quintana go so early but I thought that by him going early he wouldn’t go so deep," he said of the ace climber putting in the first half-hearted attack on the finishing climb proper.
"I followed the wheel there and eventually there were three of us," Roche explained of being with Chaves and Dumoulin just before he attacked just over 500m from the line.
“I said I’d chance it but I got a bit too hasty and over optimistic so when Chaves went in the last 500 metres I had nothing left.”
And while the Irish man had ridden the climb many times in preparation for this Vuelta, he said when he was under pressure and keen for the stage win and leader's jersey he muddled the layout of the finish in his mind.
“I forgot one of the switchbacks. There was a drag up with 500 or 300 to go, then I thought it would flatten out again. It didn’t though, it went hard again and so that was it for me.”
“When I went, I thought I was going to go there and give it my all. I thought I could do what I did two years ago. I thought, ‘Yeah, cool, I’m in again!’
“In the back of my mind, I thought, I’d give it all and get a gap to hold it.
“Chaves was very quick to react, and then went straight away and that left me there. When he went, that was it. My card was played."
He believed Monday's stage 3 would be a day for the sprinters.
"There's a little kick with about 10km to go but I don't think that'll have a major bearing on the outcome.
"Our goal is to keep everyone safe once again and wait for the higher mountains to come. We've got a great GC set up for that and I'm sure Froomey will be right up there in the next week."
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