CYCLING:CONTINUING HIS evolution into a top-level Grand Tour rider, Nicolas Roche yesterday finished seventh overall in the Vuelta a España.
The Ag2r La Mondiale rider came home in the main bunch on the final leg in Madrid, ending the three weeks comfortably inside his target of a top-10 finish, and just 43 seconds off the fourth place of former race leader Joaquin Rodriguez of the Katusah squad.
Roche’s strong result was due in part to his superb showing on Saturday’s final mountain stage to the top of the 2,248 metre Bola del Mundo climb. Roche was shoulder to shoulder with proven winners such as Frank Schleck (Saxo Bank) and Rodriguez, and crossed the line in sixth place. This cemented his grip on seventh overall, and he was never in trouble on yesterday’s flat, fast last stage.
First to the line in Madrid was the American Tyler Farrar (Garmin Transitions), who edged out Briton Mark Cavendish (HTC Columbia) in the big bunch gallop to the line.
A slight split in the peloton saw the riders from 21st place back conceding four seconds to Farrar. Roche didn’t sprint and rolled in 36th.
In addition to that seventh place overall, he was ninth in the points and combined classifications.
“I was happy. I gave everything yesterday on the last climb trying to get a bit of time on (Xavier) Tondo, but he came back onto me in the last 200 metres,” said Roche, referring to the rider who ended the race 11 seconds – and one place – ahead of him.
“But no regrets. Okay, I am a bit disappointed with my time trial, but I can’t be unhappy with seventh. I wanted to be top-10, I was seventh and am close to fifth, so I am happy enough. With a bit more work, I can do better again.”
The race was won by Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas Doimo), who became only the fifth Italian to win the event. He finished 43 seconds ahead of Ezequiel Mosquera.
The latter made a big push for victory on Saturday’s final climb but, while he got a gap, Nibali was able to haul him back gradually and finish just behind him at the summit.
Roche was just five minutes and five seconds behind in the overall classification, and lost the bulk of that in time trials. He has vowed to work at that discipline in the months ahead.
Meanwhile, Philip Lavery was best of the Irish riders in the Tour of Britain, which ended in London on Saturday. The An Post Grant Thornton M Donnelly Seán Kelly rider impressed in the event, which was won by Michael Albasini (Columbia HTC), placing 24th overall.
Team-mate and Irish national champion Matt Brammeier attacked twice during Saturday’s concluding 96km stage, including a half-hour solo effort, and earned the most aggressive rider’s award for that day.
Several other Irish riders got through what was a very hard race, including the young trio Seán Downey, Thomas Martin and Adam Armstrong, all of the Ireland national team.
