Nicolas Roche still looking for contract with "no ego" approach to career

Nicolas Roche during the Giro this year, when he rode in the service of Romain Bardet. He said he really enjoys the road captain job at Team DSM, adding he had "no ego" about not being a team leader or not being "talked about" as much now compared to the earlier years of his career

By Brian Canty

Ireland’s Nicolas Roche has revealed he’s still searching
for a team for 2022 and his current employers, Team DSM, have not offered him
anything yet.

The 37-year old recently said he’d be happy to continue
racing for “two or three more years” if the right offer was made, but as of
yet, he has nothing concrete for next year or beyond. 

Roche has had a solid season so far, performing very well
in the Giro d´Italia in service of their GC man Romain Bardet who finished
seventh overall. 

He had hoped to go to the Vuelta - a race he usually
performs very well in - but his decision to ride for Ireland at the Olympics in
Tokyo backfired when he wasn't selected for the Spanish Grand Tour.

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“At this stage, I still haven’t signed anywhere,” Roche told stickybottle. "I'll work on getting a start for 2022 first, then we´ll see about after. For now, my next race is the Bretagne Classic-Ouest France (August 29th) and hopefully the Tour of Britain (September 5th to 9th).”

Nicolas Roche had led La Vuelta twice and also won two stages in the Spanish Grand Tour. He is not riding this year's race as he was not selected following his participation for Ireland at the Olympics
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Having gone from up-and-coming star, to protected GC
rider, then super domestique and stage hunter and now to road captain, it's
fair to say Roche has done it all. That doesn´t mean he´s ready to retire,
however. His role at Team DSM is one he loves.

“I enjoy my role and I like sharing my experience and
helping out the other guys,” he said. “Of course at times I do miss the
pressure of targeting results for myself but I still get that when I can get up
the road. 

“In today's peloton it's about doing what you are best at
and reading a race or putting the guys in position for the key moments of a
race is what I do best. 

“I don't have ´star syndrome´, there is no problem with
my ego. I had my years as a team leader and the last years have been another
chapter.  

“With my role I don't get that TV  time anymore, I
am less talked about, but it's still a full-time job. Every day I go out I
need to do something important for a team regardless if it's helping on an
uphill finish or a sprint day.”

If he doesn´t get a contract, he´ll be okay with that,
not least because his exit from the peloton will in theory make way for some
young blood.

“Cycling is a shit business, as you know,” he laughed,
before alluding to his younger brother - and regular training partner -  Alexis stopping competitive cycling and citing
the improved health of his other brother Florian as examples of how they have
both put his own issues into perspective.

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