ROCHE CONTINUES TO ADVANCE IN VUELTA A ESPAÑA

Nicolas Roche today performed strongly on the sixth stage of the Vuelta a España, remaining with the top riders for much the final climb in Jaca and underlining the solid form he has shown thus far in his second Grand Tour of the year.

Today’s stage finished atop a steep four kilometre ramp and was preceded by a big battle for position. Roche was well placed heading onto the climb and moved forward when others cracked and slipped back, including last year’s race winner Juan José Cobo (Movistar) and the Rabobak duo Robert Gesink and Bauke Mollema got into difficulty.

That group finally crumbled in the final kilometre and Roche dug deep to finish ninth. He sprinted in 28 seconds behind stage winner Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha), with the latter beating Chris Froome for the stage victory.

Alejandro Valverde (Movistar Team) was ten seconds back in third, with Alberto Contador Velasco (Saxo Bank - Tinkoff Bank) a further nine seconds behind.

Giro d’Italia runner-up Rodriguez has extended his lead in the general classification to ten seconds over Froome, nine more than before, with Contador 36 seconds off the red jersey in third.

Roche moves from eighth to seventh overall. He is one minute four seconds off Rodriguez.

“It was a very nervous stage and it was good to gain time on Gesink and some others,” he said.

The race continues tomorrow with a rolling 160 kilometre stage to Alcañiz, which will likely end in a bunch sprint. If so, Roche’s next test will come on Saturday’s mountain stage to Andorra’s Collada de la Gallina climb.


Vuelta a España:

August 23, Stage 6: Tarazona – Jaca:

1, Joaquim Rodriguez Oliver (Katusha Team) 175.4 kilometres in 4 hours 35 mins 22 secs
2, Christopher Froome (Sky Procycling) at 5 secs
3, Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Movistar Team) at 10 secs
4, Alberto Contador Velasco (Saxo Bank - Tinkoff Bank) at 19 secs
5, Eros Capecchi (Liquigas-Cannondale)
6, Rigoberto Uran Uran (Sky Procycling)
7, Rinaldo Nocentini (AG2R La Mondiale) at 25 secs
8, Mauro Santambrogio (BMC Racing Team) at 28 secs
9, Nicolas Roche (AG2R La Mondiale)
10, Robert Gesink (Rabobank Cycling Team) at 33 secs


General classification after stage 6:

1, Joaquim Rodriguez Oliver (Katusha Team) 22 hours 4 mins 32 secs
2, Christopher Froome (Sky Procycling) at 10 secs
3, Alberto Contador Velasco (Saxo Bank - Tinkoff Bank) at 36 secs
4, Rigoberto Uran Uran (Sky Procycling) at 42 secs
5, Robert Gesink (Rabobank Cycling Team) at 54 secs
6, Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Movistar Team)
7, Nicolas Roche (AG2R La Mondiale) at 1 min 4 secs
8, Bauke Mollema (Rabobank Cycling Team) at 1 min 12 secs
9, Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Katusha Team) at 1 min 17 secs
10, Juan Jose Cobo Acebo (Movistar Team) at 1 min 34 secs


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22/8/12 ROCHE STAYS EIGHTH IN SPAIN

Ireland’s Nicolas Roche remains eighth overall in the Vuelta a España after today’s fifth stage, staying 24 seconds behind the race leader Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha). The Ag2r la Mondiale rider remained in the main bunch on the flat leg, rolling in 72nd and both saving energy and biding his time before tomorrow’s leg to Jaca.

This concludes with the third category ascent of the Alto Fuerte de Rapitán, and will see those classification contenders seek to snatch seconds from each other. Roche is normally strong on such climbs and will likely take an aggressive approach.


Vuelta a España:

August 22, Stage 5: Logroño:

1, John Degenkolb (Argos-Shimano) 168km in 4 hours 10 mins 37 secs
2, Daniele Bennati (Radioshack-Nissan)
3, Gianni Meersman (Lotto Belisol Team)
4, Nacer Bouhanni (FDJ-Big Mat)
5, Elia Viviani (Liquigas-Cannondale)
6, Raymond Kreder (Garmin - Sharp)
7, Allan Davis (Orica - GreenEdge)
8, Lloyd Mondory (AG2R La Mondiale)
9, Leonardo Fabio Duque (Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne)
10, Pim Ligthart (Vacansoleil-Dcm Pro Cycling Team) all same time

Irish:

72, Nicolas Roche (AG2R La Mondiale) same time


General classification after stage 5:

1, Joaquim Rodriguez Oliver (Katusha Team) 17 hours 29 mins 22 secs
2, Christopher Froome (Sky Procycling) at 1 secs
3, Alberto Contador Velasco (Saxo Bank - Tinkoff Bank) at 5 secs
4, Bauke Mollema (Rabobank Cycling Team) at 9 secs
5, Robert Gesink (Rabobank Cycling Team)
6, Rigoberto Uran (Sky Procycling) at 11 secs
7, Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Katusha Team) at 14 secs
8, Nicolas Roche (AG2R La Mondiale) at 24 secs
9, Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Movistar Team) at 36 secs
10, Laurens Ten Dam (Rabobank Cycling Team) at 46 secs

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21/8/12 ROCHE FIFTH ON MOUNTAIN STAGE OF VUELTA A ESPAÑA

Nicolas Roche posed one of the best mountain performances of his career on today’s fourth stage of the Vuelta a España, drawing on the final climb of the Estación de Valdezcaray with former Tour de France winner Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank Tinkoff Bank) and this year’s Tour runner-up Chris Froome (Sky) and leaving the other general classification contenders behind.

While Contador and Froome ultimately backed off, perhaps disagreeing over the sharing of the pacesetting, Roche continued on ahead and mopped up several riders who had been clear in an early break.

He placed a superb fifth on the stage, 55 seconds behind the winner Simon Clarke (Orica GreenEdge) and improved three places to eighth overall. He will begin tomorrow’s flatter stage to Logrono 24 seconds behind the new leader Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha Team), who took over after Alejandro Valverde was delayed by a crash.

“I am obviously happy, it was one of the better mountain days that I have had. I rode like there was no tomorrow,” Roche said.

“I got nine seconds on the other contenders, although I was hoping it would be twenty.” Roche said it was too early in the race to make predictions, but is clearly riding well.

He previously finished eleventh on yesterday’s third stage to Arrate, crossing the line in a group racing for fifth place, six seconds off the front four. Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Movistar Team) won the stage, beating Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha Team), Christopher Froome (Sky Procycling) and Alberto Contador Velasco (Saxo Bank - Tinkoff Bank).

That left him eleventh overall, 52 seconds behind Valverde.


August 20, Stage 3: Faustino V - Arrate (Eibar):

1, Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Movistar Team) 155.3 kilometres in 3 hours 49 mins 37 secs
2, Joaquim Rodriguez Oliver (Katusha Team
3, Christopher Froome (Sky Procycling)
4, Alberto Contador Velasco (Saxo Bank - Tinkoff Bank)
5, Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Katusha Team) at 6 secs
6, Bauke Mollema (Rabobank Cycling Team)
7, Eros Capecchi (Liquigas-Cannondale)
8, Benat Intxausti Elorriaga (Movistar Team)
9, Andrew Talansky (Garmin - Sharp)
10, Robert Gesink (Rabobank Cycling Team) all same time

Irish:

11, Nicolas Roche (AG2R La Mondiale) same time


General classification after stage 3:

1, Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Movistar Team) at 8 hours 46 mins 56 secs
2, Benat Intxausti Elorriaga (Movistar Team) at 18 secs
3, Joaquim Rodriguez Oliver (Katusha Team) at 19 secs
4, Christopher Froome (Sky Procycling) at 20 secs
5, Alberto Contador Velasco (Saxo Bank - Tinkoff Bank) at mins 24 secs
6, Bauke Mollema (Rabobank Cycling Team) at 28 secs
7, Robert Gesink (Rabobank Cycling Team)
8, Rigoberto Uran Uran (Sky Procycling) at 30 secs
9, Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Katusha Team) at 33 secs
10, Igor Anton (Euskaltel - Euskadi) at 46 secs

Irish:

11, Nicolas Roche (AG2R La Mondiale) at 52 secs


August 21, Stage 4: Baracaldo - Estación de Valdezcaray:

1, Simon Clarke (Orica - GreenEdge) 160.6 kilometres in 4 hours 30 mins 26 secs
2, Tony Martin (Omega Pharma-Quickstep) at 2 secs
3, Assan Bazayev (Astana Pro Team) at 22 secs
4, Marcos Garcia (Caja Rural) at 55 secs
5, Nicolas Roche (AG2R La Mondiale
6, Linus Gerdemann (Radioshack-Nissan) at 57 secs
7, Laurens Ten Dam (Rabobank Cycling Team)
8, Andrey Zeits (Astana Pro Team) at 1 min 1 secs
9, Bauke Mollema (Rabobank Cycling Team) at 1 min 4 secs
10, Jan Bakelants (Radioshack-Nissan)


General classification after stage 4:

1, Joaquim Rodriguez Oliver (Katusha Team 1) at 3 hours 18 mins 45 secs
2, Christopher Froome (Sky Procycling) at 1 secs
3, Alberto Contador Velasco (Saxo Bank - Tinkoff Bank) at 5 secs
4, Bauke Mollema (Rabobank Cycling Team) at mins 9 secs
5, Robert Gesink (Rabobank Cycling Team)
6, Rigoberto Uran Uran (Sky Procycling) at 11 secs
7, Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Katusha Team) at 14 secs
8, Nicolas Roche (AG2R La Mondiale) at 24 secs
9, Laurens Ten Dam (Rabobank Cycling Team) at 46 secs
10, Juan Jose Cobo Acebo (Movistar Team) at 47 secs


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20/8/12 ROCHE BEGINS VUELTA A ESPAÑA

Irish pro Nicolas Roche has got his Vuelta a España off to a solid start this weekend, with his Ag2r squad performing respectively in Saturday’s 16.5 kilometre team time trial in Pamplona.

Not traditionally a strong discipline for his French team, Roche’s squad placed twelfth and limit its losses to the teams ahead of it. The quickest outfit, Team Movistar, was just 34 seconds faster over the distance.

Roche then finished in the main bunch on yesterday’s 184.4 kilometre stage to Viana. Former An Post Rás stage winner John Degenkolb (Argos-Shimano) was quickest in the mass bunch sprint to the line, netting his first Grand Tour stage.

Roche didn’t dispute the sprint, rolling in 32nd and in the same time as the other contenders. He is 57th overall, 34 seconds behind the overall leader Jonathan Castroviejo (Movistar Team), and should move up when the race hits the mountains today.


Vuelta a España (WorldTour)

Stage 1: Pamplona (TTT):

Teams:

1, Movistar Team, 16.5 km in 18 mins 51 secs
2, Omega Pharma – Quickstep, at 10 secs
3, Rabobank Cycling Team
4, BMC Racing Team
5, SKY Procycling, at 12 secs
6, Lotto Belisol Team

Other:

12, AG2R La Mondiale, at 34 secs


Individual:

1, Jonathan Castroviejo Nicolas (Movistar Team) 18 mins 51 secs
2, Javier Moreno Bazan (Movistar Team) at 1 secs
3, Benat Intxausti Elorriaga (Movistar Team)
4, Nairo Alexander Quintana Rojas (Movistar Team)
5, Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Movistar Team)
6, Juan Jose Cobo Acebo (Movistar Team) at 4 secs
7, Niki Terpstra (Omega Pharma-Quickstep) at 10 secs
8, Dario Cataldo (Omega Pharma-Quickstep)
9, Kevin De Weert (Omega Pharma-Quickstep)
10, Kristof Vandewalle (Omega Pharma-Quickstep)

Irish:

64, Nicolas Roche (AG2R La Mondiale) at 34 secs


Stage 2: Pamplona – Viana:

1, John Degenkolb (Argos-Shimano) 181.4 kilometres in 4 hours 38 mins 40 secs
2, Allan Davis (Orica - GreenEdge)
3, Ben Swift (Sky Procycling)
4, Elia Viviani (Liquigas-Cannondale)
5, Klaas Lodewyck (BMC Racing Team)
6, Vicente Reynes Mimo (Lotto Belisol Team)
7, Davide Cimolai (Lampre - ISD)
8, Gianni Meersman (Lotto Belisol Team)
9, Manuel Antonio Leal Cardoso (Caja Rural)
10, Daniele Bennati (Radioshack-Nissan)

Irish:

32, Nicolas Roche (AG2R La Mondiale)

Intermediate sprint at Tafalla (km 59): 1, Mikhail Ignatyev (Katusha Team) 4 pts
Intermediate sprint at Viana (km 162.5): 1, Mikhail Ignatyev (Katusha Team) 4 pts


Mountains:

Category 3, Alto de la Chapela: 1, Javier Chacon (Andalucia) 3 pts

Most combative:1, Javier Francisco Aramendia Lorente (Caja Rural)

Teams:

1, Omega Pharma – Quickstep, 13 hours 56 mins
2, Lotto Belisol Team
3, Astana Pro Team
4, AG2R La Mondiale
5, Garmin – Sharp, all same time

General classification after stage 2:

1, Jonathan Castroviejo (Movistar Team) 4 hours 57 mins 31 secs
2, Nairo Alexander Quintana Rojas (Movistar Team) at 1 secs
3, Javier Moreno Bazan (Movistar Team)
4, Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Movistar Team)
5, Benat Intxausti Elorriaga (Movistar Team)
6, Juan Jose Cobo Acebo (Movistar Team) at 4 secs
7, Dennis Van Winden (Rabobank Cycling Team) at 10 secs
8, Niki Terpstra (Omega Pharma-Quickstep)
9, Kevin De Weert (Omega Pharma-Quickstep)
10, Alessandro Ballan (BMC Racing Team)

Irish:

57, Nicolas Roche (AG2R La Mondiale) at 34 secs

Points classification:

1, John Degenkolb (Argos-Shimano) 25 pts
2, Allan Davis (Orica - GreenEdge) 20
3, Ben Swift (Sky Procycling) 16
4, Elia Viviani (Liquigas-Cannondale) 14
5, Klaas Lodewyck (BMC Racing Team) 12
6, Vicente Reynes Mimo (Lotto Belisol Team) 10

Mountains classification:

1, Javier Chacon (Andalucia) 3 pts
2, Javier Francisco Aramendia Lorente (Caja Rural) 2
3, Mikhail Ignatyev (Katusha Team) 1

Combination classification:
1, Javier Chacon (Andalucia) 129 pts
2, Javier Francisco Aramendia Lorente (Caja Rural) 185
3, Mikhail Ignatyev (Katusha Team) 206

Teams classification:

1, Movistar Team, 14 hours 14 mins 51 secs
2, Omega Pharma – Quickstep, at 10 secs
3, Rabobank Cycling Team
4, BMC Racing Team
5, Lotto Belisol Team, at 12 secs
6, Sky Procycling

Other:

12, AG2R La Mondiale, at 34 secs