Roche shows good form with 15th place

NICOLAS ROCHE notched his highest stage finishing so far in this year’s Tour de France with a fine 15th place on the leg-breaking 215 kilometre trek from Le Mans to Châteauroux yesterday.

Roche was part of a large group of 80 riders who managed to avoid a crash some 40 kilometres from the finish but on the approach to the finishing line, he just hadn’t the legs to match some of the more established fast-men in the peloton.

The result pushes Roche further up the General Classification to 18th, just one minute and 12 seconds behind yellow jersey wearer Thor Hushovd (Team Garmin-Cervelo).