Nicolas Roche life and biography

Nicolas Roche, who was born on 3 July 1984 in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, France, is the son of former cycling champion Stephen Roche and his former wife, Lydia, nephew of former cycling professional Lawrence Roche and cousin of 2008 Irish road champion Daniel Martin. Roche was educated at Blackrock College, a private school in Dublin.

5 pro wins
3rd Stage 3 - Paris Nice Stage 2010
2nd Stage 14 Tour de France 2009; 23rd in GC
2nd Stage 18 Vuleta a Espana 2008, 13th in GC
1st Irish National Road Race Championships 2009
1st Irish National Time Trial Championships 2007

Nicolas Roche is an Irish professional cyclist with the French AG2R-La-Mondiale cycling team.

He is the current Irish National Road Race Champion and is the son of Stephen Roche, a former winner of the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and World Championships in 1987.

The Roche family is renowned in cycling circles. Two of Nicolas’s uncles are former professionals while his cousin Dan Martin currently rides for the Garmin-Transitions professional cycling team.

Nicolas enjoys huge support in Ireland and also in France where he was born in 1984. He now resides in Varese, Italy and is also based at his father’s Roche Marina Hotel on the Cote d’Azur. His mother, Lydia, sister Christel and young brothers Alexis and Florian also play a big part in his career and are among his biggest fans.

As a schoolboy Nicolas played rugby for the prestigious Blackrock College in Dublin and had set his mind on becoming a hotel or restaurant manager rather than following in the footsteps of his famous father.

Fortunately, his love of cycling never lay too far away and watching Mario Cipollini beat Robbie McEwen and Erik Zabel to win the 2002 World Championship in Zolder, Belgium inspired him to dedicate himself to making it as a professional.

His decision surprised his family who encouraged him to continue with his studies rather than attempting to turn pro. Nicolas’s mind was made up and his determination took him to the elite French amateur club VC La Pomme in Marseille.

His aggressive riding and impressive results at the club and on the Irish National Team soon caught the attention of the professional teams and he realised his ambition in 2005, turning professional with Cofidis.

He continued to develop as a talented all-round rider with the French based Credit Agricole and AG2R La-Mondiale teams and is now regarded one of the most consistent riders in the peleton with an ability to achieve top ten finishes in both one day races and stage races.

Nicolas has ridden and completed the Beijing Olympics, the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a Espana and he made a significant breakthrough in his first Tour de France in 2009 where he recorded five top ten finishes in stages on his way to finishing 23rd overall.

He has continued to develop as a rider in 2010 and has set his sights on emulating the success of his first Tour de France and putting his own name to the list of winners of prestigious one day races.

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