Roche triumphs In style

IRISH TIMES

Monday, June 15, 1987 - Page 3

Cycling: Tour of Italy

By A SPECIAL CORRESPONDANT

GREAT performances on Friday and in the last stage time trial on Saturday left no doubt about Stephen Roche's superiority in the Tour of Italy. After the problems he had with his Carrera team during the final week of the 3,912 kilometres event in 22 stages, the 27-year Dubliner earned a place among the stars of the demanding career of professional cycling.

Italian world speed record holder Francesco Moser, winner of Giro d'Italia in 1984, was not involved this year because of injury, but he paid tribute to Roche saying he is now among the great names of cycling. "He has finally won a great stage race. What had merely been a promise that might never have been realised has come true."

Only 17 times in 70 years has the Giro been won by foreigners and Roche joins the élite group that is headed by Belgian Eddy Merckx who won in 1968, '70 and from 1972 to '74 and Frenchman Bernard Hinault, 1980, '82 and '85.

After all the hassle, the manner of Roche's triumph was accepted by the majority of Italian fans and Gazzetta dello Sport declared: ""We can now call him Stefano; the crowd has adopted him."

When Roche tore the field apart on Friday's final mountain stage and only his two main challengers, accepted mountain experts Scot Robert Millar and Marino Lejarreta of Spain, could go with him on the agonising climb to the finish at Pila, the outcome was settled -- except for the possibility of a disaster on that time trial on Saturday.

Roche had been interfered with by some irate Italian followers after he had regained the leader's pink jersey from team-mate Roberto Visentini and there was still a threat of further violence against him, but all went well and the Irishman turned on the power. He clocked the fastest time, 14 seconds better than West German Dietrich Thurau.

Roche, last off, was more than a minute up on his nearest rival at halfway but, even though he slowed in the closing kilometres, he was still unbeaten and finished with an advantage of three minutes and 40 seconds over Millar, who was king of the mountains, with Dutchman Erik Breukink third at 4.17 and Lejarreta next, 5.11 adrift.

Roche's wife had flown over with his Dublin agent, Frank Quinn, for the last two stages and, after a somewhat subdued celebration afterwards, they set out from Saint-Vincent at seven o'clock on Saturday evening and drove through the night to the Roche residence outside Paris, where they arrived at 4.30 yesterday morning.

The two Roche children are with their grandparents in Dublin and Roche and his wife, Lydia, are coming to Dublin tomorrow at noon. He will have a "quiet" few days rest -- his former club Orwell Wheelers expect him to be in attendence at the Stephen Roche Grand Prix in Dundrum on Wednesday evening, 7.00.

Roche missed the Tour de France last year because of an injured knee but now he is favourite for that event, which starts in West Berlin on July 2nd and finishes in Paris on the 26th. Two years ago Roche was third with Sean Kelly fourth and, with Kelly back in competition after he was forced to pullout of the Tour of Spain when in the lead with four days to go, they will certainly provide plenty of Irish interest next month.

Roche and Kelly have both third placings in the world professional road race championship to their credit and only for Kelly's Spanish mishap they would be going for the 'big' Tour with the other two won. In the rankings the Tour de France is number one, with Italy second and Spain third.

Before leaving Italy Roche had some discussions with the boss of Carrera and they want to have further talks with him about a renewal of the contract for next season. However, Roche has already had some other attractive offers, and no doubt more will come -- but the Tour de France is next on his mind and he will be returning to France by the end of the week to prepare for that very important engagement.

It is understood that Roche will lead the Carrera team in the Tour. Roche mantains they are the most complete squad on the circuit.

Although Roche had obviously been accepted by the majority of the fans at the finish on Saturday it was a view which Visentini did not share: "There are many versions about what Roche is going to do next season and some reports say he has already signed for another team," Visentini said: "That doesn't matter. The important thing is that where I race he doesn't. Otherwise something really serious could happen."

TOUR OF ITALY (22nd and final stage, Aosta to St-Vincent, 32k)

1. Stephen Roche (Ireland, Carrera) 44'23"

2. D. Thurau (Germany, Roland) at 14 secs

3. M. Jurko (Czechoslovakia, Supermercati Brianzoli) at 45 secs 

FINAL CLASSIFICATION

1. Stephen Roche 105h 39' 42"

2. R. Millar (Scotland, Panasonic) at 3'40"

3. E. Breukink (Holland, Panasonic) at 4'17"

4. M. Lejarreta (Spain, Orbea) at 5'11"

5. F. Giupponi (Italy, DelTongo-Colnago) at 7'42"

6. M. Giovannetti (Italy, GiS) at 11'05"

7. P. Anderson (Australia, Panasonic) at 13'36"

8. P. Winnen (Holland, Panasonic) at 13'56"

9. J. van der Velde (Holland, GiS) at 13'57"

10. S. Bauer (Canada, Toshiba) at 14'41"