In-form Roche: “Staying really focused while I was sick has paid off”

Nicolas Roche battles the brutally steep gradient up to the finish line at the end of stage six of the Tour of Britain in Haytor, Dartmoor yesterday. The Team Sky man looked superb all day and has given himself an outside chance of making the podium tomorrow when the race concludes.

By Brian Canty

Nicolas Roche has revealed his sheer relief at his current form having missed selection for the Vuelta A Espana as a result of an illness picked up after the Olympic Games in Rio.

The Team Sky rider was a brilliant sixth on yesterday’s sixth stage of the Tour of Britain, crossing the line 17 seconds behind winner Wout Poels.

The result was enough to see the Irish national champion jump to sixth on GC and he is now just over a minute behind new race leader Steve Cummings (Dimension Data).

“Yes for sure I‘m very pleased. It has not been the preparation I’d have liked for this race,” he said.

“But staying really focused while I was sick has paid off.

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“It was important not to gain too much weight as I was at my peak before so I knew and hoped that if I kept my weight controlled, when I started back the power and rhythm would come back quicker,” he added.

He has an outside chance of making the podium as with three stages to go – there’s an afternoon road stage following a 15-kilometre time-trial in the morning, he can still make up ground.

“Now I have pressure on with the time-trial, as for sure there will be more gaps created there than there was on the climb yesterday.

“And with the Irish jersey on my back the pressure to do well is on.”

After Britain, Roche will turn his attention to the European Championships where he’ll do the road race and the time-trial.

He will also be doing a number of big end of season races such as the Giro del Piedmonte and the Tour of Lombardy.

“I was fifth in Giro del Piedmonte before and got top 15 in Lombardy twice so hopefully now I can focus on them.

“Other years I was always pretty tired after Tour de France and Vuelta combination so maybe now I can aim to give these races a good go.”