Nicolas Roche for starring role at National Road Champs, Wexford
He came, he saw, he conquered last year. And now Nicolas Roche of BMC Racing is set for a starring role as defending double champion at the National Road Championships in Wexford in three weeks.
Having enjoyed a fantastic National Road Championships last year, when he scooped the elite road and TT titles, Nicolas Roche will defend his crowns in 2017.
The BMC Racing rider has confirmed he will be in Wexford on the last weekend of the month to fight for gold once more.
And he will again ride both the TT and road race in the hope of defending the crowns he took in dominant fashion last year.
Roche has not always enjoyed the freedom to ride the championships as Tour de France duties have called in recent years.
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The Tour starts the weekend after the championships. And some major pro teams do not want their riders doing too much travel in the week before the Tour.
However, while Roche is expected to be in the BMC Racing team for the Tour next month, he has been granted the freedom to ride the Irish championships.
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His presence, and that of the other WorldTour men, always adds glamour to championship weekend.
And Roche is sure to be a big draw when the best riders in the country battle it out for the honours.
The road race titles – elite, U23 and masters – will be fought out on the last weekend of the month.
On the Thursday before road race weekend, the elite women will compete for TT glory, as will the elite and U23 men.
Roche took the men’s road crown from Matt Brammeier, then riding for Dimension, last year. He claimed victory with a solo move on the last lap in Kilcullen, Co Kildare.
And Michael O’Loughlin of Team Wiggins took the bronze, and U23 gold, in what was a breakthrough ride for him.
Roche took TT gold from Eddie Dunbar (Axeon-Bermans Hagen) and Ryan Mullen (Drapac-Cannondale).
It was an eventful weekend for Roche. The club he raced with as a kid in Ireland and that his father Stephen started out with, Orwell Wheelers, ran the championships.
As well as BMC Racing’s Roche, Sam Bennett of Bora-hansgrohe has also signalled his intent to ride the title races in Wexford in three weeks.
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