Roche refuses to ride information superhighway

A few weeks ago I had a coffee and a chat with Stephen Roche.

It’s 25 years since Roche won the Tour de France. Always quick to spot an opportunity in a race, Roche is developing the same skills in business, and he has used the anniversary to launch his autobiography, Born to Ride.

Just as swift to spot an opportunity for a conversation with a personal hero, I jumped at the chance to meet the first English-speaking sportsman to win the world’s toughest bike race. Not that Roche is limited to one language. By the time the former machinist in Premier Dairies wore the maillot jaune on the Champs-Élysées, Roche was fluent in French and Italian. Polite, amicable and engaging, he was always a journalist’s dream.