Nicolas Roche outlines his five-hour climbing rides in Co Wicklow on a 3½-week cold weather training stint as he prepared for this Giro d’Italia; his 19th Grand Tour.
By Luke Maguire
Nicolas Roche opted for a ‘cold weather’ training camp in Ireland for the Giro; pounding the roads of Co Wicklow for weeks, he has said.
Speaking to stickybottle in Israel on the eve of the Giro’s start, Roche said he was happier with his condition this time around compared to previous Giros.
“I haven’t raced in five weeks so we’ll see how it goes,” he said of his ‘break’ since Volta a Catalunya.
“The last two times I did the Giro I always came in over-trained. Or I’d ridden the classics or the Tour de Romandie. So I am definitely fresher this time.
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“For sure the first few days I’m going to find it tougher. But as the three weeks go by I think I’ll get stronger.”
And for a change the BMC Racing man said he decided to prepare in cold and wet conditions in the hope that when it gets warm he will go really well.
“I spent quite a bit of my Giro preparation in Ireland over the past five weeks,” he said the day before his 19th Grand Tour start.
“Over the years I’ve struggled to perform in the cold - not mentally because I’m used to the Irish weather from underage.
“But muscularly I find it hard to perform at my best when it’s cold. Then when it’s extremely hot; that’s usually when I tend to go the best.
“My idea was that instead of going to the warmer climates and training in the perfect training conditions, I thought it would a good idea to do the opposite.
Some day! Some views! With this guy @nicholasroche all day behind my car! #hardwork #nopainnoglory #nopainnogain #ilovethemountains pic.twitter.com/pA9nNWLJ0q
— Kurt Bogaerts (@bogaertsk) April 17, 2018
“I wanted to make it hard on myself and get used to doing the high intensity work in colder temperatures.
“Hopefully now that that is done the weather will be pretty hot over the next three weeks, which would be better for me.
“Also; I’ve been training on the same roads for the last five or six years. So I thought it would be a change to make the most of the hard Wicklow Mountains.
“I got to spend a bit of time with the family in Ireland as well.”
However, while he spent lots of time climbing in Wicklow, he also did a stint in the Italian Alps; going to Livigno.
“I did the high-altitude work and the longer climbs,” he said. “While I was there I had the help of Kurt Bogaerts
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“And it was great to get his support for the 10 to 12 days while I was there. Then it was back to Ireland for a week before flying to Israel; and here I am.
“So out of the last five weeks; I spent 3½ in Ireland and 10 days in Livigno.”
Winning the 18th stage of the Vuelta A Espana in 2015. Irish fans would love to see a Giro stage victory to add to his brace at the Vuelta.
Asked what his favourite ride in Ireland was, he trotted off roads that lots of Irish cyclists will know very well.
“One of my favourite loops is out of my Irish ‘base’ in Dundrum towards Firhouse, Old Bawn; into the back of Blessington and around the lake and into Lackin,” he said.
“Then I go on to Hollywood, Wicklow Gap and Laragh. I’d turn left where the waterfall is and go up to Sally Gap, Luggala and the back road into Enniskerry.
“I have a nice coffee, a cappuccino in Poppies, and go back to Dundrum. It’s around five hours.
“That would be one of my good long spins. And it’s really a tough day of climbing too.”
Now aged 33 years, Nicolas Roche already has two Grand Tour stage wins to his name; at the Vuelta in 2013 and 2015.
He also claimed the leader's jersey in the Spanish Grand Tour in 2013, before finishing 5th overall.
And he is definitely a rider who can take a victory at this Giro, or do a top 10 classification ride.
Now in Israel and having been presented, with his BMC Racing team, to the public in Jerusalem today; Roche said he was pleased to be getting underway.
“The first thing to note in Israel so far is the heat. It’s great to be riding with no leg warmers these last few days,” he said.
“It’s quite original for everyone starting the Giro to be in Israel. I didn’t realise when coming here; it’s a bit of a journey.
He said the riders were given a file for a training loop about 60km from Jerusalem. However, while he expected it to be on quite roads, most of it was in a motorway.
In the race itself; while he wanted to aim for general classification, he would assess those plans as the race progressed.
“The stage to Mount Etna should be the first big one; which comes in the first week. That’s the first big challenge.”
Roche is one of three Irishmen in the race. Ryan Mullen is riding for Trek-Segafredo and Sam Bennett for Bora-hansgrohe.
While Nicolas Roche will target the GC, Mullen’s big aim is tomorrow’s opening TT. And Bennett is looking for a sprint stage win.
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