Nico Roche on yesterday

iainf72

If you thought Bert vs Andy was something, this beggars belief

http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-s ... 64978.html

moray_gub

iainf72 wrote:

If you thought Bert vs Andy was something, this beggars belief

http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-s ... 64978.html

Ok maybe JG should have given him the wheel but ffs so you finish 15th or 17th or whatever who really gives a f*ck who finishes outside the top ten.

Kléber

Very bad to ignore the team orders.

But, if anything, I would have thought the team would be helping Gadret. Sponsor Ag2r will be happier with the first French rider on GC than Roche finishing in a near anonymous place. People will notice the first French rider but not an Irishman finishing in 14th place.

Gazzaputt

Moray Gub wrote:

iainf72 wrote:

If you thought Bert vs Andy was something, this beggars belief

http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-s ... 64978.html

Ok maybe JG should have given him the wheel but ffs so you finish 15th or 17th or whatever who really gives a f*ck who finishes outside the top ten.

Did you read the article?

moray_gub

Gazzaputt wrote:

Moray Gub wrote:

iainf72 wrote:

If you thought Bert vs Andy was something, this beggars belief

http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-s ... 64978.html

Ok maybe JG should have given him the wheel but ffs so you finish 15th or 17th or whatever who really gives a f*ck who finishes outside the top ten.

Did you read the article?

Yes

andyp

I agree with MG and Kléber, first Frenchman on GC is valuable to a team for publicity purposes, coming 15th isn't (unless you're the former).

Roche should be trying to win a stage, that would be far more memorable than finishing 17th.

moray_gub

andyp wrote:

Roche should be trying to win a stage, that would be far more memorable than finishing 17th.

Which is what Sean Kelly has been saying about NR for some time now.

inkyfingers

Whatever you think about the teams tactics in the race his going against team orders and ignoring the team leader is bang out of order. I should think Gadret has damaged his future value as a rider by doing that, you'd think very carefully about signing a rider who'd behaved like that in the past.

blazing_saddles

I think Sky may well put a big circle around Roche jnr's name. He would be a very good signing for them.
Roche maybe wearing #81 but that is clearly meaningless, to the French.
Time to move on.


BTW: Classless of the peloton, not to wait. :roll:

Pross

Missing the point a bit - if his team orders him to give his wheel he should give it although I agree finishing top Frenchie is the better PR plus he's my Fantasy TdF climber so earned me more points

iainf72

andyp wrote:

I agree with MG and Kléber, first Frenchman on GC is valuable to a team for publicity purposes, coming 15th isn't (unless you're the former).

Wouldn't Roche have been the first Frenchman on GC?

Orleandrew

iainf72 wrote:

andyp wrote:

I agree with MG and Kléber, first Frenchman on GC is valuable to a team for publicity purposes, coming 15th isn't (unless you're the former).

Wouldn't Roche have been the first Frenchman on GC?

Was just thinking that

bipedal

How do the French see Roche Jnr? Given that he's half French, grew up there and speaks the lingo, and rides on a French team I had always assumed he was seen as an adopted Frenchman

sampurnell

if first frenchman on the GC is so important why isnt he team leader?

FransJacques

Think Gadtet was getting carried away after his team mate's success the day before. Even more puzzling that Mondory was up the road anyway, what was he thinking he'd achieve?

NR's mom is French. God, I remember SR kissing the baby in her arms in 1987 in Paris. Amazing that that baby is now top 20 in the TdF.

inseine

If this French thing is such a big deal why sign the guy in the first place let alone make him team leader?

Deegs

Gadret must surely have f*cked his future value by behaving like this.


I certainly hope he has anyway. And he won't have gained himself much respect in the peloton either- hope he never needs help for any reason.

takethehighroad

Kléber wrote:

Very bad to ignore the team orders.

But, if anything, I would have thought the team would be helping Gadret. Sponsor Ag2r will be happier with the first French rider on GC than Roche finishing in a near anonymous place. People will notice the first French rider but not an Irishman finishing in 14th place.

He's not just any Irishman though is he? This is part of the reason why he was made team leader, along with the fact that John Gadret is in the Jose Rujano league of inconsistency in Grand Tours.

aarw

Nico has a huge following in France.

Refusing orders from both your team leader and DS...Gadret lucky to still be in the race (probably only because he is 1st french man).

Roche aiming for a top 10, and was moving up the standings from 14th yesterday, as basoo etc. were losing ground, so hardly insignificant and certainly worth giving a f*&k about. :roll:

Think it more likely Gadtret moving teams, not Roche. Sky already spoke with him last year apparently, but AG2R made a very nice offer which Sky could not match.

Pross

Who did Sky make an offer - Gadret or Roche? Gadret would be useful mountain domestique but not with that attitude, Roche would be a great signing.

aarw

Rumoured that Sky spoke at length with Roche.

cougie

That is a tricky one - but you can see what was going through JGs mind. Can he TT though - is he doomed to lose places on Saturday anyway ?

The Roches do get this from their team mates dont they !

sampurnell

to be fair he rides for a french team

knedlicky

bipedal wrote:

How do the French see Roche Jnr? Given that he's half French, grew up there and speaks the lingo, and rides on a French team I had always assumed he was seen as an adopted Frenchman

Frenchman! He chose to ride with an Irish licence, under the Irish flag when the event required, and he lives in Italy.
I read Ag2r hoped Roche might finish in the top 15, but that they were actually more interested in stage wins from Gadret, Riblon and/or Roche.

donrhummy

Regardless of whether you think it's worth it for Gadret to give up his wheel for Roche's placement, it was his team's orders. And if he doesn't like their orders, well he can give them back the MONEY that they pay him to do his JOB.

oscarbudgie

donrhummy wrote:

Regardless of whether you think it's worth it for Gadret to give up his wheel for Roche's placement, it was his team's orders. And if he doesn't like their orders, well he can give them back the MONEY that they pay him to do his JOB.

+1
Gadret's a tw@t

oscarbudgie

....and if Roche was British he would've known that the French always let you down when you need 'em

csp

Has anyone noticed that Roche is doing amazingly well both in bunch sprints and mountaintop finishes?

Kléber

There are rumours that Gadret's signed for Sky

iainf72

Kléber wrote:

There are rumours that Gadret's signed for Sky

They'll need to sort out his inner chimp sharpish.

Gazzaputt

Kléber wrote:

There are rumours that Gadret's signed for Sky

Source? Be interesting.