Ag2r La Mondiale leader Nicolas Roche has had a disruption to his pre-season training, being forced to stop training for several days due to a knee problem.
The 26 year old Irishman finished fifteenth in the Tour de France and seventh in the Vuelta a España this season, and also took several other strong results. His final race was the world road race championships in Geelong, Australia, after which he took a break from training.
He’s since resumed getting in kilometres on the bike but, according to La France Cycliste, had to take a break last week due to knee tendonitis.
The problem is not thought to be too serious: Roche has received treatment for the joint and is expected to resume training shortly.
Roche is currently spending a few days in Ireland. His first cousin Daniel Martin was also due to fly over for a family get-together, but underwent an operation on his nose earlier this week.
The Garmin Transitions rider pulled out of the Tour of Britain in September in order to see a specialist about an ongoing problem with allergies.
Martin was being affected in key events such as the Giro d’Italia by an inability to get anything near his maximum heart rate, and felt that his breathing was an issue. The specialist agreed and recommended that he have surgery to address the problem.
“I have got an extra bone in my nose which basically blocks it,” he told VeloNation in October. “I am going to have that removed. It’s not a big operation, it’s very quick and easy. Then I will be able to breathe through my nose…it might make a difference, I think!”
Performances such as a stage win and overall victory in the Tour of Poland plus a solo win in the Italian Tre Valli Varesine highlighted his ability. He wants to be able to ride at that level more often in the season. “It is pretty exciting,” he said, speaking about the possibility that the reason for his intermittent form might be corrected. “After that [the operation], we have got a couple of other things to pursue and hopefully I can have this form all year round.”
Martin’s operation was originally due to take place at the beginning of November but was delayed. The timing of this meant that he is be unable to take part in today’s Garmin launch in the Cycle SuperStore in Dublin. He had been due to participate but was advised by doctors not to fly while he is recovering.
He will instead travel to Ireland in December, meeting fans on the 12th of the month.