Nicolas Roche has been at the Tour de France every year since 2008 but will not be in the race this year. His Irish compatriots Philip Deignan (also Team Sky) and Matt Brammeier (Dimension Data) have also missed out on selection.
By Brian Canty
Neither Nicolas Roche or Philip Deignan were named in Team Sky’s nine-man roster for the Tour de France today while Matt Brammeier was also overlooked for selection by his team Dimension Data squad.
It means the Irish contingent for this year’s race which starts on Sunday week, July 3rd, will be GC hopeful Dan Martin (Etixx-QuickStep) and stage hunter Sam Bennett (Bora-Argon 18).
Roche hadn’t ruled out the possibility of doing all three Grand Tours this year for what would have been a first for him but team management have opted for other riders with less experience.
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He rode the Giro d’Italia last month but when their man for GC, Mikel Landa, fell out of contention they switched the focus to chasing stage wins and they got one through Mikel Nieve on stage 13.
Both those riders are included in the line-up, as are defending champion Chris Froome and his trusted lieutenant – and Plan B should anything go wrong Geraint Thomas, while Luke Rowe, Ian Stannard, Vasil Kiryienka, Wout Poels and Sergio Henao.
Philip Deignan had hoped for a first Tour start but he will probably go to the Vuelta now instead, with Roche likely to join him there.
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It will be disappointing for both to absorb that news but perhaps unsurprising in some ways; Roche has already raced a lot this year after a winter blighted by illness while opting for Deignan would have been something of a gamble, given his inexperience.
However, when the call was greatest this year, he performed heroic team duties in defending the race lead Mikel Landa held during the Giro del Trentino.
Brammeier will also have to pin his hopes on a Vuelta start as he failed to make his team’s 13-rider long list.
Given the team’s African connections it’s perhaps no surprise to see six named on the list.
Aside from them, Steve Cummings was a banker after his stunning stage win last year as well as his recent Criterium du Dauphiné victory.
Mark Cavendish will lead the team’s assault for stage wins and helping him in the sprints will most likely be Bernhard Eisel and Mark Renshaw, two seasoned lead-out men.
Edvald Boasson Hagen is having a fine season and is almost certain to go and that galaxy of stars, sadly, has left no place for Brammeier.
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