From a prolific Irish cycling family, Nicolas and Alexis Roche will finally ride on their first Irish team together the weekend after next when they go into the inaugural UCI Gravel World Championships in Italy side by side in the green of Ireland.
While both have hung up their road racing wheels they have been scratching the competitive itch on the international gravel scene and have both qualified for the Worlds, which they will ride on Sunday week. They say they are going into the event with ambition and are looking to make their mark at the front.
While Nicolas (38) and Alexis (24) compete in the men's race, former UCD Cycling Club rider Emma Porter will ride the women's title race on Saturday week, also in Italy’s Veneto region.
“It's great to be representing Ireland again, and in something new. I can’t wait to race," said Nicolas Roche, who last represented Ireland at the Olympics in Tokyo last year; the fourth Games of his career.
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"I am thrilled to take part in the first UCI Gravel World Championships. Although accumulating other jobs and not being able to train as much as I’ve wanted, I feel I am in pretty good shape.
“I have finished top ten on World Series races this year but in the worlds, World Tour riders are welcome to ride making the level extra competitive. I think I would be happy with a top 15 finish.”
Alexis is also hoping to be competitive, having qualified for the elite men’s race at the Wish One Gravel Race in Millau, France on June 5th.
"Since they announced the first UCI Gravel World Championships and the UCI Gravel World Series it became my objective to get qualified for it," he said. "I qualified on my first World Series event in Millau and I saw that I can be competitive.
"The 194km course will be mostly flat which should suit me as I have a good strength and technique on that kind of gravel. I'm targeting a top ten finish. I've trained hard for the race and learned a lot from the previous races, I'll leave everything on the road - well gravel!”
