Nicolas Roche is all set to support team leader Alberto Contador in his battle to win this year's Tour de France.
Having turned 30 years old in recent days and about to ride his sixth Tour de France, Nicolas Roche has never finished on the same team as the race winner.
But that could all be about to change as his Tinkoff-Saxo squad look to put team leader Alberto Contador into yellow on the Champs Elysees this time around.
“I think it’s going to be a very interesting and exciting Tour,” Roche told stickybottle today.
“Chris Froome is the defending champion, the favourite. But I think Alberto is ready to give him a run for his money this year.”
Contador has finished no lower than second in any stage race he has ridden so far this year and has already won Tirreno-Adriatico and the Tour of the Basque Country.
Advertisement
Although Froome wore yellow at the recent Criterium du Dauphine, Contador took it off him on the penultimate day only to lose it on the last stage to an audacious attack from Garmin Sharp’s Andrew Talansky.
But the Tour is the one race where both men will be putting it all on the line in an effort to go home with the final yellow jersey and both men have a strong line up behind them at this Tour.
Related News
“We have a very experienced team here," says Roche.
"I think the average age of the team is around 32 but I think you need that experience behind you to win this race.
“Most of the guys rode the Tour last year and we have a great team spirit and are ready to do battle for the win.”
While Vincenzo Nibali, Alejandro Valverde and Talanksy are also among the contenders, Roche admits that Froome and Contador look most likely to go head to head.
“Alberto is definitely ready. He’s in good form, back to the best level he’s been at for a long time.
“The whole team is really motivated and we’re ready to get behind him for the next three weeks.
“It’s going to be a tough three weeks with some surprises as usual, but I think we have a great chance to win this Tour.”
Roche went into the Giro struggling for form and his chances were ended by a crash. But since then he has regrouped and his win at the Route du Sud - where he took a stage, the overall and points jersey - suggests the Giro has whipped him into great shape.
Topics
