Stephen Roche Photo Gallery
Stephen Roche (born November 28, 1959) was one of the modern age's most talented racers. One can only guess at what he could have done with a reliable and pain-free right knee. His 1987 season was stuff of legend with victories in the Giro d'Italia, Tour of Romandie, Tour de France and World Championships. The only other rider to win the "Triple Crown" (Giro, Tour, Worlds) is Eddy Merckx.
Roche's first year as professional (1981) showed he was a complete rider with victories in Paris-Nice (beating the very formidable Adrie Van der Poel by 79 seconds) and the Grand Prix des Nations, then the unofficial world time trial championship.
His upward march was stopped dead in its tracks when he crashed in the 1986 Paris Six-Day. The damage to his right knee would haunt him the remainder of his career. By early 1987 surgery had stabilized the knee enough to allow him to resume racing at a high level. And race at a high level he did.
With early season wins that included a third Tour of Romandie win he went into the 1987 Giro d'Italia sharing team leadership with 1986 Giro winner Roberto Visentini. Roche and Visentini did not like each other and both wanted to win the Giro.
After Roche faltered in the San Marino time trial Visentini became the maglia rosa. Two stages later Roche attacked Visentini against orders from his director, Davide Boifava. Defying Boifava, Roche persisted and at the end of the stage Roche was again in pink while Visentini's morale was completely broken. Italy's fans were livid. Despite threats from Visentini and Italy's tifosi Roche won the Giro.
At the Tour de France Roche fought a brilliant battle with Pedro Delgado, Delgado being the better climber, Roche the superior time trialist. And that's how it played out. Going into the final time trial Delgado led Roche by 21 seconds. Roche's second place in that time trial put him in yellow for good.
At the world championships Roche took off on a successful a late flyer, beating Moreno Argentin by a single second. That made him the second rider in cycling history to win the triple crown.
But Roche would not be able to win races in his rainbow jersey. His knee blew up, ruining his 1988 season. From then on, despite several attempts to repair the knee he was never again a contender for a Grand Tour victory. Roche retired in 1993.
Major victories and high placings:
1981:
Tour of Corsica
Paris-Nice
l'Etoile des Espoirs
2nd place GP des Nations
1982:
2nd place Amstel Gold Race
3rd place Four Days of Dunkirk
3rd place Trofeo Baracchi (riding with Jacques Bossis)
1983:
l'Etoile des Espoirs
Tour de Romandie
GP de Wallonie
Paris-Bourges
2nd place Tour du Haut-Var
3rd place World Road Championships
3rd place Route du Sud
3rd place GP de Plouay
1984:
Tour de Romandie
2nd place Paris-Nice
2nd Place Tour Méditerranéen
3rd place Critérium International
3rd place GP des Nations
1985
Critérium International
2nd place Paris-Nice
3rd place Liège-Bastonge-Liège
3rd place Tour de France, both general and points classifications
3rd place Tour Méditerranéen
1987:
Giro d'Italia with two stage wins
Tour de France general classification and 2nd place points classification with two stage wins
Tour de Romandie general and points classifications with two stage wins
World Professonal Road Championships
Tour de Valence
2nd place Liège-Bastogne-Liège
2nd place Critérium International
2nd place Tour of Ireland
1989:
Tour of the Basque Country
2nd place Paris-Nice
3rd place Critérium International
3rd place Four Days of Dunkirk
1990:
Four Days of Dunkirk
2nd place Paris-Nice
1991:
Catalonian Week
Critérium International
1992
2nd place Giro del Piemonte
Professional Teams:
1981: Peugeot-Esso-Michelin
1982-1983: Peugeot-Shell-Michelin
1984-1985: La Redoute
1986: Carrera-Inoxpran
1987: Carrera Jeans-Vagabond
1988-1989: Fagor-MBK
1990: Histor-Sigma
1991: Tonton Tapis-GB
1992: Carrera Jeans-Vagabond
1993: Carrera Jeans-Tassoni
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