Roche's victory on stage two of the Route du Sud on Saturday laid the foundations for his overall win in the three-day event.
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By Gerard Cromwell
Having returned to action at the three-day Route du Sud at the weekend, a surprised but delighted Nicolas Roche went home from the French stage race with overall victory, a stage win and the green points jersey.
Roche finished fourth on Friday's opening stage before soloing to victory on a tough second stage, which took in the legendary Tour de France ascents of the Col du Tourmalet and Col d’Aspin before finishing at the ski station of Val Louron.
His 45 second winning margin there was enough to see him hold out on Sunday’s final stage to Castres and take his first ever professional stage race win just a couple of weeks before the Tour de France start in Yorkshire.
"The team did a great job from the start," said Roche of his Tinkoff-Saxo squad's defence of his race lead on the final stage.
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"We tried to filter the early breakaways so there wouldn't be anyone dangerous in the move, but there was one guy about two minutes down on the GC who got up the road in a group of eight, so we couldn't afford to give them too much of a gap."
"The team rode on the front and brought them back and then Francaise de Jeux came up and rode near the end because they wanted to set up the sprint for Bouhanni.
“There were a couple of attacks in the last few kilometres but I had the boys around me and we stayed safe to the finish. I couldn't have done it without them.
“They were really strong and really committed to winning this race. They were super this weekend."
"I'm really delighted to win my first stage race as a pro. I've been waiting for that for a long time, so it's a relief to finally get it.”
Roche also went home with the green jersey as winner of the points classification at the Route du Sud on Sunday
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With his current form, Roche would have been a favourite for this weekend’s national road championships in Multyfarnham but a last minute decision to rest up ahead of the Tour de France and check out some of the early stages with his team means he will not be on the start line this year.
“After riding this race, it would have meant that I’d get home for a night or two, fly back to Ireland for four days and then have to fly back home for one night before flying out to see the cobbles and some of the other Tour stages with the team.
“Last year was more or less the same scenario, although then I felt I was running behind form and had to continue to work hard rather than going to race in Ireland for a day.
"This year it’s more about the stress of the travelling and having time to recover from this race.”
While Roche has made a point of returning to ride the national championships every year since he was a schoolboy, he also missed last year’s event due to pre-Tour de France travelling and recon rides.
“Unfortunately, it’s the second year in a row, so it’s a bit of a disappointment," he admits.
“It took me a while... it’s not easy not coming back. Everyone knows I love coming back to compete in the nationals, even if it is probably the hardest race of the year.
“Unfortunately this year I have to skip it. I sent an email to the organisers to explain it and it was nice of them to say that they understood. Hopefully, next year it will work out better for me to go and ride it
“I was so determined to ride it that I left my time trial bike in Ireland after the Giro. I left all my race gear in a suitcase ready for the nationals so it’s a bit disappointing.
“I’m sorry to the organisers and the people who wanted to see me race there but I have to stay focussed for the Tour.”
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