Stephen Roche facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Stephen Roche

Roche at the 1993 Tour de France
Personal information
Born	(1959-11-28) 28 November 1959 (age 65) Dundrum, County Dublin, Ireland
Height	1.75 m
Weight	74 kg (163 lb; 11 st 9 lb)
Team information
Current team	Retired
Discipline	Road
Role	Rider
Rider type	All-rounder
Major wins
Grand Tours Tour de France General classification (1987) 3 individual stages (1985, 1987, 1992) 1 TTT stage (1987) Giro d'Italia General classification (1987) Combination classification (1987) 2 individual stages (1987) 1 TTT stage (1987) Stage races Paris–Nice (1981) Tour de Romandie (1983, 1984, 1987) Tour of the Basque Country (1989) Critérium International (1985, 1991) One-day races and Classics World Road Race Championships (1987) Other Super Prestige Pernod International (1987)

Stephen Roche (born 28 November 1959) is a famous Irish former professional road racing cyclist. He had an amazing 13-year career. In 1987, he achieved something truly special. He became only the second cyclist ever to win the "Triple Crown." This means winning the Tour de France, the Giro d'Italia, and the World Road Race Championship all in the same year! Only two other cyclists, Eddy Merckx and Tadej Pogačar, have done this.

Stephen Roche was known for his smooth cycling style. He was one of the best cyclists of his time. However, he faced challenges with knee injuries. These injuries made it hard for him to compete at his best in big races after 1987. Despite this, he won 58 professional races in his career.

Stephen Roche: A Cycling Legend

Early Life and Amateur Racing

Stephen Roche grew up in Dublin, Ireland. He first trained as a machinist in a dairy. But his real passion was cycling. He joined a local club called "Orwell Wheelers." He quickly became a successful amateur cyclist in Ireland. In 1977, he won the Irish Junior Championship. Then, in 1979, he won the Rás Tailteann, a big race in Ireland.

To get ready for the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, Stephen moved to Paris. He joined an amateur team there called A.C.B.B.. Soon after arriving, he won the amateur Paris–Roubaix race. This was a huge win! He was told by his coach that if he didn't win, he would be sent back home.

He also did well in other races. A knee injury, though, affected his performance at the Moscow Olympics. He finished 45th. But when he returned to France, he won 19 more races in just a few months. This success led to him signing a contract with the Peugeot professional cycling team in 1981. He was now a professional cyclist!

Becoming a Professional Cyclist

Stephen Roche's first professional win was against the famous cyclist Bernard Hinault in the Tour of Corsica. Less than a month later, he won Paris–Nice. He was the first new professional cyclist to win this race. He finished his first year with 10 victories. He also came second in the Grand Prix des Nations.

In 1982, he finished second in the Amstel Gold Race. His career kept growing. In 1983, he won the Tour de Romandie, Grand Prix de Wallonie, Étoile des Espoirs, and Paris–Bourges. He also finished 13th in the 1983 Tour de France. That year, he earned a bronze medal at the world cycling championship in Switzerland.

In 1984, he won the Tour de Romandie again. He also won Nice-Alassio and Subida a Arrate. He finished second in Paris–Nice. In 1985, Stephen won the Critérium International and the Route du Sud. He came second in Paris–Nice and third in Liège–Bastogne–Liège. In the 1985 Tour de France, he won a stage and finished third overall. This was a great achievement!

Facing a Chronic Knee Injury

In 1986, Stephen had a bad crash during a race in Paris. He hurt his right knee. This injury ruined his 1986 season. He finished the 1986 Tour de France in 48th place. He described this Tour as "entering a dark tunnel" of pain.

The knee injury and later back problems bothered him throughout his career. He had many operations, but the pain often returned. This injury made it very hard for him to compete at his best. Towards the end of his career, he lost power in his left leg because of a back problem. He later said he rode the 1993 Tour de France "just for fun." He still finished 13th!

The Amazing Triple Crown of 1987

Roche riding in a time trial at the 1987 Tour de France

The year 1987 was truly incredible for Stephen Roche. In the spring, he won the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana. He also won the Tour de Romandie for the third time. He finished second in Liège–Bastogne–Liège, which was very close to winning a major 'Monument' Classic race.

In the Giro d'Italia, Stephen won three stages. He also won the overall race, becoming the first non-European to do so. One stage is especially remembered: he broke away early, against team orders. Even though he was caught, he had enough strength to attack again and take the pink jersey (leader's jersey) from his teammate. This showed his incredible determination.

After the Giro, Stephen was tired but a favorite for the Tour de France. This Tour was very tough, with 25 stages and many mountains. Stephen won a long time trial stage. On stage 21, he attacked early and was ahead for hours. He was caught on the last climb, but he fought hard. His rival, Pedro Delgado, then attacked. Stephen was far behind, but he managed to close the gap to just 4 seconds! He collapsed at the finish line from exhaustion. When he woke up, he famously joked, "Yes, but I am not ready for a woman straight away."

The yellow jersey (leader's jersey) changed hands many times in this Tour. But Stephen used the final time trial to win the Tour by only 40 seconds! This was one of the closest finishes ever. He became only the fifth cyclist to win both the Tour and the Giro in the same year. He was also the first and only Irishman to win the Tour de France. The Irish leader, Charles Haughey, even joined him on the podium in Paris.

Later that year, Stephen won the World Road Race Championship in Austria. This made him only the second cyclist in history to win the "Triple Crown" – the Giro, the Tour, and the World Championship all in one year! He also won the Super Prestige Pernod International competition, which recognized the best cyclist of the season.

Dublin gave Stephen Roche the "freedom of the city" in September 1987. This was a huge honor. He then rode strongly in the Nissan Classic race, finishing second.

Post-1987 Career and Retirement

Roche riding an individual time trial at the 1993 Tour de France

After his amazing 1987 season, Stephen joined a new team, Fagor MBK. However, his knee injury returned in 1988, and his performance slowly declined. In 1989, he was second in Paris–Nice again. He finished ninth in the 1989 Giro d'Italia. But he had to leave the 1989 Tour de France because of his knee.

He changed teams a few times. In 1990, he won the Four Days of Dunkirk. In 1991, he won the Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme and the Critérium International. In the 1992 Tour de France, he won a stage in bad weather and finished ninth overall. He also finished fifth in the last Nissan Classic Tour of Ireland.

In 1993, he finished ninth in the 1993 Giro d'Italia and 13th in the 1993 Tour de France. Stephen Roche retired from professional cycling at the end of 1993. His last win was a small race after the Tour de France.

Personal Life

Stephen Roche lives in Antibes, France. He stays involved in cycling by running cycling camps in Majorca. He also helps organize races and works as a commentator for cycling events on Eurosport.

He has four children with his former wife, Lydia. His son, Nicolas Roche, was also a professional cyclist until 2021. Nicolas won the Irish National Road Race Champion title in 2009 and 2016.

Stephen's brother, Lawrence Roche, was also a professional cyclist. He completed the Tour de France in 1991. They were teammates on the Tonton Tapis–GB team. Stephen's nephew, Dan Martin, was also a professional cyclist and won the Irish National Road Race Champion title in 2008.

In 2008, Stephen Roche completed the New York Marathon.

Advertisements

In 1987, soon after winning the Tour de France, Stephen Roche appeared in a famous Irish TV advertisement for Galtee cheese.

Career achievements

Major results

General classification results timeline

Grand Tour general classification results
Grand Tour	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993
Vuelta a España	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	14	—
Giro d'Italia	—	—	—	—	—	DNF	1	—	9	—	—	—	9
Tour de France	—	—	13	25	3	48	1	—	DNF	44	DNF	9	13
Major stage race general classification results
Race	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993
Paris–Nice	1	6	—	2	2	—	4	—	2	2	4	—	—
Tirreno–Adriatico	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	8	21
Tour of the Basque Country	—	—	—	—	—	—	12	—	1	6	7	6	22
Tour de Romandie	—	—	1	1	—	—	1	—	—	—	—	—	13
Critérium du Dauphiné	26	—	—	6	—	—	—	—	—	7	—	—	—
Tour de Suisse	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	DNF	—
Volta a Catalunya	Did not contest during his career

See also

In Spanish: Stephen Roche para niños