Late blow for Roche’s team as Colombian rider refused visa
The nine-man team has now been forced into a late reshuffle with Australian rider Jay McCarthy replacing the Colombian.
The Omega Pharma Quickstep and other teams also complained about the delays in getting their riders visas to race. Russian pair Maxim Iglinsky and Alexi Lutsenko, of Team Astana, both failed to get clearance and subsequently returned home while Venezuelans Yonder Godoy and Jackson Rodriguez were unable to depart their base in Italy with the rest of the Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela team.
But Roche, whose father Stephen won the Giro in 1987, was not downhearted and said he’s just excited to get going.
“I have been through a very hard altitude training camp with the team and we just finished Tour de Romandie to brush off our shape,” he said.
“I feel ready, and naturally I’m extremely motivated to do the Giro on home soil. The home ground launch is the bonus to me. I can’t wait to get a feel of the buzz the Giro has created in Ireland. It’s a huge deal for the Irish fans, Irish cycling and it’s a huge deal for me.”
One interesting member of Roche’s team is Christopher Juul-Jensen who spent the first 16 years of his life in Ireland but having since lived in Denmark, races under a Danish licence although he retains an Irish accent.
Meanwhile, Ciara Sugrue, head of consumer engagement and international publicity with Fáilte Ireland, believes the race is a “shop window” for potential business and tourists and should be treated as such.
“Ourselves and Dublin City Council have sponsored this event [south of the border] and it’s a fantastic opportunity for Ireland,” she said in Dublin yesterday.
“What an opportunity this is to showcase the country and, in particular, the east coast of Ireland, to a worldwide audience.
“We have 300 international media personnel coming, and 174 countries will broadcast this race.”
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