Media
Irish Independent - "If you don't like cycling, just stay at home"
Posted Mon, 07/16/2012 - 20:15 by ianmcclure
I was woken this morning by the phone ringing in my hotel room at around 7.30. It turned out to be my room-mate Jean Christophe Peraud's wife, phoning to tell him she wouldn't be able to come to see him at the finish as she was in labour and on her way into hospital to have his second child.
I don't know how the news affected Jean Christophe, but it must have been hard to concentrate all day, not knowing how his wife was or whether he had a new son or daughter.
Bastille Day in France is the beginning of a massive holiday weekend so we left earlier than usual for the start. At the Tour Village, I had a chat over a coffee with my mum, my nana Roche and my younger brothers Alexis and Florian. Alexis started racing as an U-14 last year and was all excited because he had persuaded my mother to bring his bike with him and let him ride up the nearby Mont Ventoux, one of the legendary mountains of the Tour.
Irish Independent - "This is Hubert's 13th Grand Tour"
Posted Tue, 07/10/2012 - 08:02 by ianmcclure
Since this Tour began a week ago in Belgium, my team-mate Hubert Dupont has had the logo '13GT' written on his helmet in black marker. I noticed it ages ago, but kept forgetting to ask him what it meant. It was only when he returned from a post-stage trip to hospital last night that I found out. This is Hubert's 13th Grand Tour and, as luck would have it, yesterday he crashed and broke his wrist, sprained his ankle and damaged one of his vertebrae. His Tour is over.
This morning as we boarded the team bus for the start, Hubert came and said goodbye to everyone and it was sad to see him go home as we headed towards his favourite playground -- the mountains. Every year, Hubert has been a great help to me on the big climbs -- pacing me, nursing me, cajoling me, in whatever order is necessary, but today as we head for the hills, his season is over.
Roche beats Deignan in Yong Ning Town
Posted Fri, 10/07/2011 - 16:35 by ianmcclure
Nicolas Roche (Ag2r) beat compatriot Philip Deignan (RadioShack) and Chris Froome (Team Sky) to the line on stage three of the Tour of Beijing from Men Tou Gou to Yong Ning Town. It was Roche’s first WorldTour win, while Tony Martin (HTC-Highroad) retained his lead in the overall.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-of-beijing-wt/stage-3/results
Roche looking for aggressive final week
Posted Sun, 07/17/2011 - 21:11 by ianmcclure
Irishman hopeful Plateau de Beille was his ‘jour sans’
Roche moves on up after crash
Posted Sat, 07/09/2011 - 11:12 by ianmcclure
Nicolas Roche avoided trouble on yesterday’s seventh stage of the Tour de France, avoiding the large crash which caused the retirement of Bradley Wiggins and delayed several other overall contenders.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2011/0709/1224300389715.html
