Roche wants to Tour in favourite jersey

NICOLAS ROCHE has admitted to being “extremely motivated” to win the national senior cycling championship crown in Emyvale, Monaghan tomorrow as it would mean him wearing a distinctive Irish jersey for this year’s Tour de France, which gets under way next Saturday.

The son of legendary Irish cyclist Stephen won the title two years ago in Dunboyne, County Meath and will start as the pre-race favourite but he knows a formidable challenge lies ahead.

“It’s never easy to win the Irish nationals,” the Ag2R rider admitted last night. “You’ve got a lot of strong contenders there based at home and abroad and looking to try and do something so you just have to be careful.”