Nicolas Roche is no stranger to Irish roads, by car or by bike, but the retired pro rider has recently begun commuting around Dublin for the first time and has been struck by how dangerous it can be.
Currently in Ireland for the ‘Dancing with the Stars’ TV show, Roche has been cycling around town each day as he stays with his grandparents in Dundrum.
That has been a new experience for him because all of his cycling in Ireland was previously done in full kit while training, often in Wicklow, rather than as a commuter on busy Dublin city streets.
“I’ve been cycling in and out. We take all the Covid tests for the show in the city centre, and I’d rather cycle in than take the car,” Roche told The Mirror newspaper.
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“It’s very difficult. It needs improvement. The roads are very narrow in Dublin, and some of them are very dangerous. It’s very hard to overtake someone and when you do, you’re risking your life.
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“To give a bit of encouragement, I think the bike lanes in Ireland have improved immensely over the past couple of years,” he said, adding the volume of cyclists on the roads in Dublin was now very noticeable.
“Now with the city bikes, the population of cyclists in Dublin has expanded so greatly. There’s no more space for bike lanes – it’s almost safer to share the bike lanes with the bus lanes.”
Roche has recently been unveiled by Cycling Ireland as the new manager of the Irish road team and before he gets stuck into that job he is still trying to go as far as he can on Dancing with the Stars.
After receiving some tough feedback from the judges for his opening dance a few weeks ago, the comments for the last two performances, including last Sunday, have been much more positive and his scores have been higher.
With that improvement clear to see, Roche is still in the competition after two eliminations, with author Cathy Kelly and comedian Neil Delamare both being voted off over the last two weeks.
