MOST RIDERS HAVE A HOME RACE
CLOSE TO WHERE THEY GREW
UP... I HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP
EVERYWHERE, SO I DON’T HAVE THAT
ATTACHMENT TO ANY ONE RACE.
“I agree, the racing in France is
more aggressive and chaotic,” he
told peloton. “In fact, the break could
go after ten minutes and every
team could have a rider and that’s
it, race over! Whereas in a foreign
race such as Italy, the bigger teams
usually don’t take any chances and
they make sure the better rider is
there for the winning situation.”
Having spent his entire career in
France, Roche remains comfortable
with his surroundings and finds
satisfaction in his decisions since
turning professional.
“I was a amateur in France, so it was
normal that French teams had better
knowledge about my results, as they
could familiarize themselves with a
race where I performed well,” he said
of his first opportunity with Cofidis.
“On the other hand, I stayed in
France because I was pretty confident
with the structure part of things,” he
added, revealing a certain level of
pragmatism. “It’s rare that French
teams pack up half way during
the contract like you see in other
countries. The French employment
system is so rigid that it gave me some
kind of reassurance.”
“I was happy doing my early career
in France, as I could take my
time, step by step, and progress. I
always had a decent race program,
and I was happy with that.”
Ultimately, Roche identifies with
French racing, but he is quick
to remind us of his refusal to
be pigeonholed. “I speak three
languages, I moved my house about
eight to ten times ... I see way beyond
the nationality issue.”
Looking Ahead
To date, Roche has five professional
victories to his credit, along with
consistent results on varied terrain.
When asked to pick his breakout
moments, he offers a few from his
early years, including the 2002
U23 world championships in Zolder,
Belgium (“I was up the road all
day and I loved the experience!”),
and a solid performance at the
prestigious French semi-classic,
Grand Prix d’Isbergues in his
stagiaire phase.
While he has shown the capability
to win one-day events (including
the Irish national championships in
2009), Roche has succumbed to the
allure of the Grand Tour. Riders
are often forced to choose their
priorities, forgoing one specialty
such as sprinting in order to improve
climbing prowess. When asked where
his preferences lie in terms of racing
style (i.e., classics versus Grand
Tours), he admits that he wants it all.
“‘Both’ would be a good answer,
even though I am conscious that
riding for the general classification
now has made things harder to
chase stage wins,” he admitted.
Focusing on the long haul, he has set
his sights on the general classification
in the biggest tours, buoyed by strong
performances in the 2009 Tour de
France, where he counted five top-ten stage finishes and 23rd place
overall, and an even bigger result at
the 2010 Vuelta a España, where he
finished 7th overall.
“I like riding for the classification.
I like being concentrated all
day, every day. It’s a thrill and
that’s where I get my pleasure
and my passion for racing.”
Returning to his philosophy of
geographic indifference, Roche
added that no one race qualifies as
his “home” course.
“Most riders have a home race close
to where they grew up,” he said. “I
have been brought up everywhere,
so I don’t have that attachment to
any one race.”
“One I’d love to win? Liège-Bastogne-Liège. And, of course, the
Tour de France and the Vuelta, but
who doesn’t?” ]p[
