Sean Kelly discusses the prospects for the near future in the careers of Sam Bennett, Nicolas Roche and Dan Martin. Pictured at the end of stage 10 of the 1988 Tour de France in Morzine (Photo: Sirotti)
By Brian Canty
Sean Kelly believes Nicolas Roche made a very wise decision in leaving Team Sky to join BMC Racing Team for next season.
Having been overlooked for selection for the Tour de France this year, many felt the time had come for Roche to move on.
And with his new team he should have some opportunities for himself, just like when he rode for Tinkoff-Saxo in the past.
There, he won the Route de Sud as well as a stage of the Vuelta A Espana while he also supported Alberto Contador in the Tour de France.
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It’s likely Roche will take on a similar role for Richie Porte next year whilst also getting his own chances.
“I think it is a good move for him,” said Kelly. “The problem with Team Sky is there’s so many good riders there to make the selection; as was the case this year for the Tour.
“It was going to be so difficult for Nicolas with so many great riders," added Kelly, speaking at the launch of the Irish Heart Foundation’s annual charity cycle.
“But with BMC he’d be pretty much guaranteed to make the selection for the Tour.
“He keeps performing like he has been this year like we saw in the Giro then there’s no reason why he shouldn’t make it on the Tour for BMC next year.”
On the podium in the bronze medal position at the 1989 World Championships behind Greg Lemond and Russian Dimitri Konyshev (Photo: Sirotti)
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Meanwhile, Kelly has suggested while Sam Bennett’s Tour de France became a battle for survival after his stage 1 crash, he could see sense in him finishing it out.
“He learnt how to suffer because he did suffer in the first days after the crash on the first stage,” he said.
“I think it’ll stand to him having done a full Tour. Physically it’ll make him stronger.
“It’s always a difficult one; should he have stopped and went away and tried to come back later in the year?
“Or does he continue and hope it will improve his stamina in the years to come?
“I think, looking at what’s left in the season, there’s not much for sprinters in the Vuelta; so continuing on in the Tour was probably a better choice.
”And hopefully he can come back later in the year, like for the world championships and a few more events before the end of the season.”
Kelly believes Dan Martin is having something of a breakthrough season with Etixx-QuickStep as he finished in the top 10 in the Tour last month for the first time.
How far more he can go though is something only time will tell us.
“It’s always difficult to know how much is left but I suppose the first thing you have to look at is his age; he’s 29,” said Kelly.
“Tour de France guys; at 33 or 34 they’re still competitive in cycling so age-wise he has a number of years left but how much more improvement is there? That is a difficult one.
“I suppose Dan doesn’t know yet himself but you have to hope there is more in him if he keeps working on it.
“He will get stronger as the years go on and that is often the case, guys do get physically stronger for a three-week event with age.”
- The Irish Heart Foundation Tour of the Midlands is in its fourth year and registration for the event is now open. The event takes place on Sunday October 2nd and there are three routes; the 12k Kelly Family Spin, the 80k Kelly Cut and the 120k Kelly Slieve Bloom Challenge.
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