By Shane Stokes
Having been confirmed for Crédit Agricole's line-up for the Giro d'Italia, Irish rider Nicolas Roche has outlined his schedule in the run-up to the three-week Italian Tour.
The 22 year-old will do just one race between now and the May 12 start, riding the 1.1 UCI-ranked Tour de Vendée next Tuesday.
"I will have more or less a week at home, training there, then do the Tour du Vendée," he told Cyclingnews this week. "That is on the first of May and then we leave for the Giro on the ninth."
Roche took three top ten placings in recent French Cup events. This show of good form was enough to earn him a place on Crédit Agricole's team for the Giro, which his father Stephen won twenty years ago. He had targeted a ride in the race as one of his major goals for the season, knowing that it will help him greatly in his development as a rider.
For his first Grand Tour, he has set the target of performing strongly on one or more stages during the event.
