After a winter plagued by illness, Nicolas Roche was playing catch-up in his early-season appointments but believes he’s where he needs to be heading into a crucial part of the season. He is expected to be a confirmed starter for Team Sky in the upcoming Giro d'Italia. That announcement will be made on Monday.
By Brian Canty
Ireland’s Nicolas Roche returns to racing tomorrow at the Tour de Yorkshire for what will be his first race since the final stage of the Volta A Catalunya on March 27th.
It’s been a long wait for the Team Sky man who is part of an eight–man line-up that for the three-day event in the UK which concludes on Sunday.
Since he last pinned on race numbers, Roche has been training at altitude in Italy in advance of a big block of racing which looks likely to include the Giro d’Italia.
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“In the last month I’ve spent two weeks in Tenerife with the team and as my program had a few changes I organised another five days in Livigno (Italy) where Philip Finnegan joined to give me hand.”
After a winter plagued by illness, Roche was playing catch-up in his early-season appointments but believes he’s where he needs to be now.
“Altitude camps are good to isolate yourself and train hard on those long climbs, getting uses to working at high altitude.
“I think the biggest benefit is that nowhere else can you repeatedly do one or two climbs of over 45 minutes long.
“And getting used to that pedalling stroke and putting the pressure on for that amount of time is the biggest advantage of these camps.
“I think I’m back in good condition. It took a lot of time but I think I’m ready to be competitive again.”
The life of a pro cyclist is not an easy one, with long days in the saddle required to steel oneself for the big battles. Nicolas Roche knows that more than most but still makes no bones about getting on with the job.
Having been a pro for over 10 years now, Roche knows how his body adapts to the rigours of training.
He spends between four and five weeks at altitude every year and aside from the boredom and missing his wife Deborah, they’re not so bad.
“I react to altitude well. I have the experience now,” he explained.
“If you’re mentally ready and prepared, it’s not as hard as what you might think.
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“The two or three camps I do a year are always something I look forward to as I know they are key to my preparation of the big events.
“Yes they can be boring at times but then it’s also good to switch off from normal life.”
Roche was assisted on his most recent camp by long-time friend and manager of the Nicolas Roche Performance Team, Phil Finnegan.
“It was great to have him up there, he does so much for me and the NRPT team,” continued the two-time Vuelta stage winner.
“At this time of year weather can change in a few minutes and the last thing I want is to be caught unprepared in a snow storm.
“I was caught in horrific weather last Saturday and was happy to have him in the car with all my winter stuff!”
Whoever said cycling was a glamorous sport should try training on the Mortirolo in Italy when it's snowing!
Though he enjoyed the solitude, he is ready to get back to normality and the business of winning races.
“This month I’ve only spent three days at home and saw my wife for just one day in Madrid when I was coming back from Tenerife.
“But that’s what you need to do. I’ll have other times in the year to relax and make the most of family and friends.
“Now it’s time to commit and get results - those who love me understand that and don’t make it harder for me.”
And the chase for results starts tomorrow where he’ll be one of Sky’s key lieutenants.
“I’m looking forward to Yorkshire and racing again because it’s been over a month since I last raced.
“I can’t wait to ride with Michael O’Loughlin. I’m proud he’s made it to this level.
“I’ve been following him for years and happy he has been racing in the NRPT before that.”
Not a bad office, eh? Roche is fighting fit and ready for the Tour of Yorkshire which starts tomorrow. After that he'll most likely go to the Giro having been named on the provisional list of starters.
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