Nicolas Roche has said the TT at the Olympic Games today was very hard, adding he felt his Irish team-issue race clothing was not suited to the conditions.
The 37-year-old was 28th in the 44.2km TT, some 6:19 down on new Olympic champion Primož Roglič (Slovenia). Roglič won the gold medal by 1:01 from Tom Dumoulin (Netherlands), with Rohan Dennis (Australia) in 3rd at 1:04.
“I’ll be honest, that was tough,” Roche said after his effort in the 44.2km TT, which concluded his fourth Olympic Games, adding he gave it his best shot.
“I knew it was always going to be difficult for me but I suffered around that course. The wind wasn’t too bad but it was really hot, especially with the skin suit. They’re not as breathable as some of our regular racing clothes. I felt I was suffocating at some points.
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“Definitely left it all on the road but obviously against a lot of the top of the world specialists I’m a lot slower than most of them, but I gave it 100 per cent.
"I thank the staff and Cycling Ireland and the Olympic team for their commitment behind me for these Games, and I hope I gave everything I could. It’s been an amazing experience to get my fourth Games, I'm extremely proud.”
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Roche said while these Games were unusual due to the
Covid-19 pandemic, and all the precautions that had to be put in place,
previous Games had also had their challenges.
“I mean, you know, 2012 was all about anti-terrorism and
2016 was Zika and now it’s Covid. So far I haven’t done a normal Games,” he
said.
“This one, especially being in a satellite hotel and not
saying in the village; the cycling team actually feels more like a Worlds, just
with a bit of a cooler tracksuit,” he joked.
“It hasn’t quite been easy, just isolated in the hotel.
The rules and regulations are extremely strict. When we leave the hotel they
put a sticker on the door to make sure that we don’t get out of the car.
“So they’re pushing their limits in terms of security; a
PCR (test) every single morning. So for me it’s also my fourth Games and I
haven’t gone to any opening ceremony or any closing ceremony, so it doesn’t
feel that different to the other ones.
“I was hoping one time in my career I’d get that parade,
mostly at the end because we’re always the first event. But I guess I’ll come
back as a coach,” he said, adding he would leave the Games on Friday to get
back racing again in Europe immediately.
“For us, in cycling, the Olympics is right in the middle
of the season so the game goes on.”
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