Nicolas Roche said he was satisfied with his ride today at the Tour of the Alps after claiming 2nd place when he was among the last three men standing from the breakaway.
“I’m really happy about today,” Roche said after the finish of today’s 120.9km stage from Valle del Chiese-Idroland to Riva del Garda.
“It was nice to be in the break with Michael (Storer) and it was proper racing out there. After the last climb (Allesandro) De Marchi and myself believed we could still make it before the bunch to the line.
Roche continued: “It was nice that we both just committed to that in the finale and didn’t play around. We are really good friends and we just said, 2nd or 3rd... if we go full gas our victory will be not getting caught by the peloton.
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"So when he crossed the line we had a good laugh and
a hug because it was a really, really full effort. I’m happy with the result
and to be able to get a stage podium for the guys."
Felix Großschartner
(Bora-hansgrohe) attacked the breakaway early on the final
climb and opened a gap out front before descending into the finish into Riva del Garda to win.
Roche (Team DSM) and Alessandro de Marchi (Israel Start-Up Nation) were the only other riders from the breakaway still away and while they chased the lone leader, he won by 34 seconds.
Roche and De Marchi, former team mates at BMC, spent the closing kilometres dangling just seconds off the front of what remained of the peloton. However, while it looked like they would be caught, they were seven seconds clear of the bunch on the line, with Roche taking the two-up sprint for 2nd place.
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“I know Felix very well, and I know how good he can climb and he was always the greatest climber of the group,” Roche said of the stage winner.
He explained Großschartner had attacked at the perfect time on the final climb just as Storer, who was caught in the second half of the group when the breakaway split, was trying to come back to the front group and make two Team DSM riders up there.
“His move was perfect. I think (Großschartner) felt that we had Michael Storer coming back for our team and we would have had two in the group. He anticipated and he did (his attack) at a really good time. Chapeau,” Roche said.
One of Roche's team's riders for the general classification, last year's Giro d'Italia runner-up Jai Hindley, suffered a crash during the week and did not start the stage today, something Roche said was unfortunate.
"We came here initially with some good GC goals; looking forward to the Giro preparation. I think this is a really, really, good race; very difficult, a lot of good riders and some nice beautiful roads.
"Unfortunately yesterday Jai slipped on the descent and didn't start this morning. I think today is really important for him to get ready for the Giro."
Roche and cousin Dan Martin (Israel Start-Up Nation) were among the first four riders who went on the attack today and when a large 16-man group eventually formed it later split in two, with Roche making the first group.
That result, Roche’s best of the season
to date, came after he had attacked in the finale of stage 1, taken the bunch
sprint for the minor placings on stage 2 and also gone on the attack on yesterday’s
stage 4, spending much of the day in the early breakaway.
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