Stephen Roche Cycling Hero

[shootingstar666666]

Roche was, and still is, my hero!

[bbgerarddd]

Roche - a national disgrace. McQuaid - an even bigger disgrace for turning a blind eye for so many years.

[GiantDefy954]

you can keep on dreaming the fairytale because you are never going to go anywhere in the sport and you like being able to sit in your armchair and be fascinated by the cheating bastards on the tv set. But the young generation who are starting the sport ought to know of the shit they may be facing because its unfair to say "your a failed cyclist" when they are actually the most talented but will not resort to drugs. Dont even bother to reply becaus eyou just a prick who is scared of the truth.

[dan32113]

@GiantDefy954 Roche was treated by Conconi while at Carrera, the Doctor who has been involved in the scandal of drugs in cycling! I"ve read quite a few books on the scandals, Willy Voet a top soigneur tells in his book about the rife taking of drugs, Rooks & Theunisse, have admitted taking drugs & they raced against Roche, even Fignon said in his book he"d taken "stuff", i"d be suprised if Stephen hadnt taken stimulants. Sean Kelly was hundred times the cyclist Roche was anyway...

[GiantDefy954]

@dan32113 . He was beating known dopers, how can anyone believe that he was clean. I appreciate that there are people out there who may not agree with what i say because they dont want their fairytale story destroyed, you know Roche pulling back 1 minutes in 5k "without drugs". I love cycling but i dont like the naivety of the people involved and how they are so quick to stamp on the people who try to expose the corruption. The people who argue with me argue with human nature, it'll never change

[GiantDefy954]

If people still dont understand why Kimmage is so anti-doping, then surely the divergent career paths of these two characters illustrates the choices facing many cyclists. What do people expect Kimmage to feel when he witnessed what happened with Riis. Paul Kimmage wants a sport in which riders dont have to face the choices he and Riis faced. He wants a clean sport.

[GiantDefy954]

Kimmage turned pro in 1986, Riis turned pro in 1986. By 1989 both riders were still both unsuccessful pro cyclists. Both rode the Giro in 1989 in which Kimmage actually finished two places in front of Bjarne Riis. Kimmage 84th, Riis 86th. Kimmage quit the sport that year to become a sports journalist. Riis went on to take EPO and win the Tour de France, becoming rich and famous of the back of his success

[cocteauireland]

poor skint rte using a non qualified journalist to propagate a facetious stream of you know what Oh cyclists on drugs in the 90s-check Use of epo began in 92 at the very very earliest and ravaged the sport into the late 2000's By the by-Conconi was the official Olympic anti drug co-ordinator Oh and kimmage is an an atrocious rider n poor poor journalist to boot-trust me ive read the paper since i was 14 n 36 now

[cocteauireland]

Two things- i am restarting my love affair with cyling now-and the sport is getting itself together. Oh, n kimmage is a poor writer. Like al pacino in revolution, lots of intensity with little effect. Can piss better n further than him.

[cocteauireland]

By 1993, 80%+ cyclists were on epo. The accusation against roche is epo use in 93 via dr conconi. I believe this to be true (by this point his contemporaries were enjoying the benefits of increased haematocrits,hugely). This drug did not exist until early 90s-this cant be argued- and yes has scourged the sport this last generation. I have started following cycling this last two years with the burgeoning belief that this sport has got itself together. Roche when it mattered was clean.

[fleminnj]

For those of you bashing Paul Kimmage, i would urge you all to read his book before commenting on the man! Anyone who is trying to expose the liers and cheats in cycling deserves our support and not our criticism. He's one of the good guys trying to clean up the sport!

[dubcindub15]

Kimmage?? Isn't that one of the cheapest spots on Dublins version of Monopoly? It's the Monopoly version of a Paul Williams exclusive.

[Burncourtable]

Fuck Paul Kimmage. He wouldn't win the tour of Achill island

[tazio2]

@Burncourtable Well said !! You gave me a great laugh ! Great Wit , great to see Nicholas Roche doing so well in Spain , he s a chip off the old block

[GiantDefy954]

@Burncourtable Ha well he was good enough to be selected for the tour and many other races.... were you?

[john97160]

To be honest, I don't see why Kimmage should have any say on the matter...

Anyone recall his comments to Lance Armstrong? The whole "our cancer has returned" stuff? (reffering to Armstrong, of course) I have a VERY hard time taking Kimmage seriously...

Couldn't agree more with Laurencedublin: Bitter little nobody with bitter little rants!

[paulbrandy]

god i love roche man, a pure champion and irelands greatest sportsman

[dan32113]

@paulbrandy is that a joke? Irelands greatest sportsman. Sean Kelly was world number 1, & only 2 cyclists have won more classics in the history of the sport. Roche was good for 1 year 1987! Sean also won Paris Nice 7 years running & the 88 Vuelta. Anybody with a brain knows who Irelands top dog is!

[paulbrandy]

@dan32113 oh you are very funny with your brain comment arent ya! but i disagree with ya, Stephen Roche was better then Kelly, greater quality of wins and having met, chatted and cycled with both men im here to tell you that Roche is the top dog...

[dan32113]

@paulbrandy Kelly won 3 times as much as Roche. Go on wikipedia & compare what they won! Roche was brilliant in 1987. Kelly won more throughout the 1980"s, thats why he was World number1, 6 years running. Nobody won more classics in the 1980"s than Sean. Roche had 12 major wins, Kelly 36! Kelly won more stages in Tour de France, & yes Roche won overall, but Kelly won 4 Green jerseys. Also 16 Stages in the Vuelta. Roche was never world number 1, Kelly was. FACT

[robbiemable]

roche is one of the greats, please do not forget how his big year lifted a nation that needed a hero! charlie was right ( even thow he was proved to be corupt) he is a national hero.

#

[jarsonist]

Where's the cheese?

[DHTCF]

The test explanation that Roche gives doesn't seem to account for the "si" in the treatment column. Disucssion of the judge's conclusions inconsistent with the lack of interest that Roche professes earlier on in the piece.

[projectletour]

There's no doubt Roche doped. Paul Kimmage, while not the brightest in using the cancer metaphor, had no reason to concoct his story. Rough Ride is an accurate account account and i highly recommend the read.

[andjelko33]

what is the tune that starts at 1:44, I really like to get it

[MrHopeTelevision]

@andjelko33 Im trying to figure out too! maybe you've found out in the last 5 months?

[MrHopeTelevision]

@andjelko33 its obsession by animotion!

[andjelko33]

@MrHopeTelevision Man, been too busy, just saw your email, thanks a million you made my day!

[sprintbass]

kimmage pissed me off because he made a very bad comparison...lance-cancer has returned to our sport...i hate armstrong..and I AM american..but you dont go and say cancer like that..true or not it was poor taste..lance wont go down..amgen sponcers him and he is a cash cow..cycling does well when he wins and we are talking many many millions of $ from bike sales to his cancer awareness..id love to see some one take him down but i dont see it happening..i love roche and was a fan of him.

[HabloIrlandes]

thats a pretty spot on comment about the whole episode. Kimmage showed sickening bad taste when he used that analogy. I'm no fan of LA, but that comparison was pretty sick.

[sprintbass]

1000% and thanks:)

[fleminnj]

@sprintbass Read his book man! Paul Kimmage made the doping-cancer analogy back in the early 90's. This was long before Armstrong was even diagnosed with cancer!

[ItsdHoff]

Paul Kimmage thinks all winners are on drugs,just because he couldn't win,even when HE took drugs...he IS a bitter little man.

[GiantDefy954]

@ItsdHoff Your a sad little prick, he rode and finished the tour de france, giro d italia and world championships id like to see you do it you waste of space tosser

[ItsdHoff]

@GiantDefy954 Fuck you. Many guys rode and finished tough bike races but they didn't go around pointing fingers at the champions who won them. You wanker. You obviously know fuck all about cycling.

[GiantDefy954]

@ItsdHoff there are people who FINISH and people who WIN. In most circumstances the winners have a dirty secret and the people who just finish are trying to survive. Almost every winner of every big race has been caught on something you name them and they have tested positive for something. Be a naive little twat if you like but dont criticise Kimmage because he is actually trying to clean the sport up and make it fair for the lads starting out and not turning a blind eye to the corruption

[ItsdHoff]

@GiantDefy954 So you think MOST winners are dopers? You fucking idiot..Look at what Kimmage said about Armstrong, calling him a "cancer"..and don't forget that Kimmage eventually became a doper too. Armstrong has never been caught. Roche was never caught. Why did some strong evidence against Roche never apper within the 5 year deadline? Those finger pointers can keep pointing for the rest of their lives. But those guys passed all their drug tests and should be left alone.

[GiantDefy954]

@ItsdHoff But Armstrong did test positive in 1999 when 6 of his samples were positive for epo. Also if you knew anything Kimmgae used the cancer metaphor in his 1990 book rough ride. Kimmage doped 3 times in criteriums to finish them after he rode the tour

[GiantDefy954]

@ItsdHoff coppi, merckx,kelly,delgado,pantani, ullrich, basso, ricco, di luca, contador,... the list i could go in forever. Youll always believe everything your heroes say so im not going to try and convince you. At least Kimmage was man enough to admit what he did whereas Roche knows that it would ruin him if he admitted to being a fraud. Everyone wins EXCEPT the people who care for the sport which obviously isnt you.

[GiantDefy954]

@ItsdHoff Also if your so knowledgable about cycling then you would know that the post tour criteriums in 1987 were fixed to let roche win for publicity. So Roche wasnt squeaky clean at all, he actually took from other riders who could barely afford to live to make publicity for himselve and fuck them over so get your facts right you fucking shithead

[ItsdHoff]

@GiantDefy954 Oh my God you are so fucking thick...ALL criteriums are fixed so that the crowd get entertained. The crowd wants to see the tour heroes do well. It's been like that for years..you fucking tool..if you were so knowledgable on cycling, you'd know that. There's no arguing with you. You tosser...

[GiantDefy954]

@ItsdHoff My point is that the "tour heroes" are being allowed to win to entertain the crowd whilst the domestique who earns fuck all during his year would still be earning a meager living even though he might have a good chance of winning if he was allowed, but seen as the "tour heroes" are the only ones who are allowed to win, the domestique goes away on a very average salary.

[GiantDefy954]

@ItsdHoff fools like you have no rational thought, all you see is a fairytale dream where stephen roche wins the tour without drugs and everyones happy.youd be bitter too if you was the national champion, 6th best amateur in the world and then you turn professional and somehow the cyclists you were beating easily are anhiliating you because theyre doped up to the eyeballs and everyone keeps quiet incase the lance armstrongs and stephen roches get angry at you for exposing the lies. You. Prick

[ItsdHoff]

@GiantDefy954 Come back to me on this issue if either Stephen or Lance get caught. Otherwise stop pointing the finger. I'm stopping this argument now as there's no talking with the likes of you. I notice that from other comments you made to other youtube users. You won't admit when you are wrong and you are an arrogant arsehole. Good luck.

[GiantDefy954]

@ItsdHoff what has me saying my opinion got to do with being arrogant? You said your opinion but it doesnt make you arrogant, however you are ignorant so come back to me when you know what the words you use actually mean. TIT.

[Busseto]

Ops I've just wrongly posted my below comment on here trusting I had typed on a Kelly's video .

While I couldn't stand Sean Kelly , I admired so much Stephen Roche, the greatest irish cyclist ever , a famous & great champ in cycling history.

So my up cooment was meant for Kelly .

I apologize to all Roche's fans & admirers here : I can't get how it could happen .

I kindly ask the owner of the video to cancel my comment , thx .

[WELLBRAN]

Roche modest enough when riding but now he seems to be a conceited individual. not short of self importance, I hated Lemond when he was riding but now I like him alot as He speaks what he thinks, I was wrong about him. I know what you mean about Kelly though

[Busseto]

Yeah he was a born winner , that's true

but he also was a whiner and a born sore looser as far as I remeber him ....!

A winning ryder but absolutely not an outclass champ .

[comac1983]

Your memory fails you! Sean Kelly is infamous for his silence and a man that would rarely ever complain especially not publicly.

[Busseto]

@comac1983 sorry but you're 100% wrong : not only my memory works perfectly , but also as northern Italian

I do know so much cycling and ev'ry fact about .

While ( I repeat ) Roche was a great champ and a fair cyclist , Sean Kelly used to make ridiculous complains about superior rivals ( even outclass as Hinault or Saronni f.i. ) the many times he got defeated by them and he used to behave like a pathetic wining rookie ( Tour &

Wolrd Championship comprehensive ) .

[comac1983]

@Busseto - Kelly may not have had the greatest natural ability but what he lacked in ability he made up for it through pure grit and determination. He has won; the Vuelta, the Green Jersey 4 times, Paris Nice 7 times, Tour de Suisse 2, Milan SanRameo 2, Paris Roubaix 2, Giro di Lombardia 3... He remained ranked as the World no1 for 5 consecutive years. He could climb with the best, time trail and sprint. He was an exciting rider to watch, instigating attacks...

[comac1983]

I understand why as an Italian, where of course cycling is a big sport, this would annoy you. Sean Kelly was a great, modest, champion and he deserves to be recognised as such.

[WELLBRAN]

Kimmage was ravaged by all when he wrote that book but years later he was right! 1997 saw the bibble burst, starting with Festina and to date the whiole sport is riddled with it. So kimmage and asshole or whatever...what for? he was telling the plain truth. Cycling is a ruthless sport and everyone is out to gain on the other guy but we all thought that the hard nuts were doing it clean, and now those hard nuts are/were spineless.

[WELLBRAN]

Sorry for spelling I am writing this when worn out

[muller74]

What people don't realise is that Roche was a cut above everyone else from his earliest days racing.He was a winner from the start. Its not like Armstrong who suddenly starts winning the Tour de France and being unrecognisable to what he was before his cancer.

Also take a look at his family and relatives. His brother, son and nephew are all / were pro cyclists and very good ones at that.

[apana790]

Armstrong won the world championships before he even turned 22, he was winning road races against adults at the age of 14, he won stages in the tour aswell so he was a born winner just as Roche was

[WELLBRAN]

Roche is sitting in the studio with a smug look, and trying to look saintly, does not help his cause and denying the question before the guy finishes his sentence, also at the end how conceited to say "I was a classy cyclist2, and as if to say "Prove it"! also I remember Roche was very very scathing of Kimmage right from the start, what beeter way to defend your secret by attacking? I dunno. When roche si trying to look innocent he looks positively shifty!

[MartiW]

Oh and by the way.. to all of you Kimmage bashers, remember, he rode and finished the tour. He's qualified to comment. He has the inside knowledge to write without fear of litigation.

[biggee1000]

thats not a chip kimages shoulder, thats a whole sack of potatoes.

[MartiW]

Anquetil when questioned about drugs answered "do expect us to ride on Perrier water" I'm passionate about cycling but show me a clean cyclist and I'll show you to a loser. And don't be fooled by Armstrong's cancer charity. He's a total fucking cheat. I urge you all to get David Walsh's LA Confidential book. The one Armstrong manage to block in English publication but not in french.

[usamericanz]

i'm as cynical as the next guy, but Armstrong was (and now is again) the single most drug tested professional athlete in the world, and has never been found positive for anything. I know all about the rumors about missing "b" samples during the 1999 tour, but think about it...does it make sense that Lance doped to win the first tour, but was clean for the next 6 tour wins? Of course not. And if I were Lance, I would use my resources to try to block libelous books too...GO LANCE GO!!!

[chipper30uk]

Stephen Roche has never been found guilty of anything nor has Lance Armonstrong,Kimmage get over yourself you fucking asshole loser.

[chipper30uk]

Paul Kimmage is an asshole!

[chipper30uk]

Forgive me But is Paul Kimmage Slightly Retarded?....You Fuckwits down south are more british than the brits themselves if you listen to that Cunt....Sean Kelly,Stephen Roche,Sonia O'Sullivan,Eamon Coughlan,Barry McGuigan and Alex Higgins LEGENDS!

[WELLBRAN]

As well as the Roche era they are talking about the fignon tour wins, renault and la vie clare, so no era is really safe, they ruined the best sport in the world, your hero's are all now zilch! thanks Pro cycling for destroying all my then enjoyment...as a sunday morning amateur!

[Laurencedublin]

bitter little nobodys with bitter little rants!!

Nobody could touch Roche..ever!

[finottopaolo]

Doping....Doping

[ShaneMullaney]

when was Ireland apart of the Tour De France?

[tonyoconnor87]

the first few stages of the 98 tour

[tonyoconnor87]

here here

[woodheadgreen]

absolute nonsense ,character assasination....is this the italians sour grapes again ,echos of the 87 tour of Italy ,when Steven took the jersey from Visintini and the Italians couldnt handle it

[campag1979]

Roche collapsing in 87 smacked of drug taking

[bobbypinhead]

no, it smacked of complete exhaustion.

[RichJBarry]

Pretty damning evidence against one of or greatest champions

[killiney4444]

rubbish -When Joe blogs thinks of the tour de france these days, he thinks drugs. What more do you want? Throw a rock at the peleton back then, your likely to hit someone equally as guilty or innocent. considering the wealth of -confirmed- information to prove the drug point the video doesnt offer much. With the air time this got on tv in comparison to actual cycling, most likely some business imbecile's attempt to create a scandal and a few dollars by targeting a past hero in troubled sport.

[killiney4444]

do people have nothing better to do then dig in the dirt? rubbish.

[donnybrooklads]

I remember his fight with Visentini (sp?) of team Carrera - like lemond / hinault. I thin back then it was anabolic stuff and testosterone - correct? And caffeine! lol

[lesmcluffalot]

Kewlios

[sunsnowwarm]

he did not take it. i was racing back then and still am and epo was not even around until about 1990-92

[Laurencedublin]

I raced against Stephen Roche in the 80's,he had a gift none of us had! I knew when Stephen went pro,no one would touch him!

10 pro.race wins in his first year!!

A tour win,a Giro,a world champion,what a year to be Irish! If it wasn't for a knee injury,he would have 7 Tour's,7 Giro's!!

Both Eddy Merckx and Bernard Hinault have said they have never seen anyone like Roche!

In cycling,you need real talent,nothing will help you!

[kerryfan14]

hey can u please post more of the 20 moments that shook Irish Sport

[smithmarke]

Stephen was my cycling hero in the 80's/90's

I hope to god he did not take EPO.

[fignon]

what does it matter, they were all at it at the time

[lars3939]

if you want to be clean you cant be associated, well said...

[chris14091975]

Great stuff, we don't get this in Canada. thanks!  Stephen Roche is my favorite cyclist ever