Nicholas
Roche

After making the switch to the team in 2019, Nicholas enjoyed a strong second half to his first season with the team, which saw him wear the leader’s jersey at the Vuelta a España for three stages before unfortunately abandoning the race after a crash.

“Abandoning after the crash didn’t make me hungrier so to say because I was always hungry. It was good to show that in 2019 I was back to a good level and it shows that 2018 was just a bad year.”

Continuing his good form into 2020, he was part of the team’s very successful Tour de France squad, with Nicholas playing an important role in the team’s three stage wins.

Nicholas holds the honour of the being the oldest rider on the team for 2021, but the Irishman says he still feels like he learns something every day from his teammates, and that the guys help keep him youthful. Although with a smile on his face, he jokes about one of his potential roles in the team.

“When you go and see your grandad and he tells you stories about the war and you just sit and listen; I think I will have that kind of role but with a different age group, sharing my experiences on and off the bike.”

Multifaceted, alongside his cycling career on the bike Nicholas also operates a couple of cycling related businesses, which he uses to disconnect himself from his on bike performances. Something that he has learned over time is important to do so that he doesn’t dwell on any mistakes that he has made.

“In the cycling world some people would see it as a distraction but it is my way to switch off. When I go into my room and open my notebook and computer and start writing everything down, I don’t think about training or races. I just focus on the business and completely disconnect myself from races.”

Nicholas understands the cruel nature of the sport and that nothing lasts forever, noting that during a Grand Tour the previous days stage winner is almost forgotten as the race continues. However, he uses that as a positive thing and as a drive to improve.

“It is important to focus and soak in those moments when you can but that is where Keep Challenging comes in; you need to continuously try and do it again. Keep the mentality of not being satisfied with what you have done, always challenge yourself to improve.”