Roche refocused for Tour

CYCLING NEWS:WITH JUST one day until the start of the Tour de France, Nicolas Roche is making final preparations for what will be one of the most important races of his career.

The 25-year-old finished second in the National Road Race championships in Sligo last Sunday, losing out to An Post Grand Thornton M Donnelly Seán Kelly rider Matt Brammeier, then flew back to his base in Italy on Monday. He remained there for two days, then headed up to Rotterdam, where the Tour will begin.

“I am feeling alright,” he said this week. “I was disappointed after the championships, but now I am really, really focused on the Tour. So that is no longer a problem.”

Many of the riders used Wednesday as a chance to ride the tricky, technical cobblestone sections that pepper the route of the Tour’s third stage. Roche chose not to do so, having done a reconnaissance of that part of the course in April, and instead got in a training ride with his Ag2r La Mondiale team.

He made a strong debut in the race last year and is determined to improve on that this time round.

The Tour begins with an 8.9km time trial tomorrow afternoon, and continues on Sunday with a 223.5km run to Brussels. Roche’s early goal will be to ride well in the time trial, then to steer clear of crashes over the next few days. The first mountain stage comes next Saturday in the Jura region.

In other news, three-time Tour de France winner Greg LeMond gave a talk yesterday evening as part of a coaching and information session arranged by Paralympic Cycling Ireland and the BDO Get BACk Challenge.

LeMond spoke about his career and gave coaching advice to those present at the University of Limerick.

Other speakers included Paralympic world championship silver medallist Catherine Walsh, former world rowing champion and elite cyclist Sinéad Jennings, and track cycling Olympian David O’Loughlin.

LeMond will ride the BDO Get BACk challenge tomorrow. The 100km cycle will leave the Strand Hotel in Limerick and travel through Ennis, Lahinch and Spanish Point, en route to Doonbeg Golf Club.

The aim of the organisation is to fight cancer and to promote a healthy lifestyle, which should reduce the chances of people catching the disease.

FIXTURES– Today: Tour de Turlough, Ballyhaunis, 6.30 pm. Friday-Sunday: Rás Connachta, Mayo. Saturday: Blarney criterium; International track GP, Sundrive Road, sign on from 11am. Sunday: Irish XC NPS 7, 3 Rock Mountain, Dublin. Mark Hayden Memorial, Carlow; Women's 100km road race, Carlow; Blarney road race, Cork; Tommy Givan Memorial time trial, Woodgreen; Abbeyfeale hill climb and time trial, starts noon; youth racing, Gorey, sign on 11am.