Nicolas Roche trades his Saxo-Tinkoff kit for the green of Ireland in the elite men's time trial at the World Championships here in Florence today, Wednesday.
By Brian Canty
Nicolas Roche believes a top 15 finish in today’s UCI elite men’s time-trial (TT) at the World Championships in Florence is a realistic goal – though he admits he’ll have to be at his very best to achieve it.
The Saxo-Tinkoff man rode the trade team time-trial last Sunday, finishing ninth, and he’s eager to get stuck in today, Wednesday, because testing against the clock, he says, has been the biggest improvement he has made this year.
“Definitely, I think this year I have progressed a fair bit and starting the year with eighth in the Tour of Med was an encouraging start. And even in TTs where I wasn’t on decent form I managed to get some decent results – or results I would not have gotten in other years with better condition.”
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“Eventually, when I was in great condition I managed to pull out a good result in the Vuelta,” he said.
But TT results, he says, are often misinterpreted.
“The first TT at the Tour, it came unnoticed because I was 25th or something but I was only 20 seconds off a top 15 so it was a pretty decent ride, bearing in mind it was the Tour de France. I just think this year I progressed a lot and that’s one of the reasons I want to give it a shot today.”
“I’m not going to be in contention for a medal but I want to try and keep focused and do as many TTs as I can and to continue progressing.”
“Progress is got by doing a lot of them, by practicing, and I think today riding for Ireland will be another good opportunity to continue what I’m doing. I’m in good condition after the Vuelta as well,” he reasoned.
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The Vuelta result he said, was a case in point of a good result that went unexamined, so people need to be realistic about his chances this afternoon (1.21pm Irish time).
“The Vuelta TT was completely different because there was a 13k climb. If you look at the Vuelta results; I think only three TT specialists made the top 10, all the others were GC riders so you can’t compare the one at the Vuelta to the completely flat one of today.”
“So the Vuelta was a good performance but because I was riding GC and capable of that 13k climb and the descent was perfect for me, and it was only five or seven kilometres back to the finish; it was completely different to what I’m going to do today, so I can’t compare one with the other.”
Roche said he has trained more than ever on the TT bike this year.
“I’ve done a lot of work but over the year and worked a lot on my position. I trained at home a lot more on the bike too and that’s paying off. Also, the TT is about knowing yourself and I know myself a bit more too. Unless you are a born TT specialist and it’s natural, some riders just have it in them, while others have to work a bit more, and I’m part of those ones who have to work more.”
“Every year I work I improve, every year I improve and get more stabilised. Sometimes in a TT, 30 seconds is not a lot but can bring you from top 30 to top 20. When you do top 20 everyone thinks you’re a God, when you do top 30 everyone thinks you’re crap!”
“It might not even be a second a kilometre of a difference! I’ve never been shit at time-trials, I’m just a bit better now,” he argued.
Wednesday 25th September
Elite Men Time Trial 56.8km
Nicolas Roche is off at 1:21pm Irish time (2:21pm local time)
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