Sam Bennett 4th as Alexander Kristoff wins stage 1

Carrick-On-Suir rider Sam Bennett finished fourth on stage 1 of the 2020 Tour de France in Nice this afternoon as Norwegian Alexander Kristoff took the stage win along with the race leader’s yellow jersey.

Sam Bennett, who crashed earlier in the day and also suffered a puncture in an eventful 156 kilometre opening stage, found himself boxed in at a crucial time in the final sprint as Kristoff powered past the field to seal a surprise win for UAE Team Emirates.

Speaking at the finish line, Bennett gave his assessment of the day’s final sprint:

“At the end of the stage with the roads being so slippy, I tried to do my best, I tried to stay safe. I made a wrong decision in the final but when (Michael) Morkov [Bennett’s teammate] went, I saw (Jasper) Stuyven and I thought ‘ok, I’ll let him in and hopefully he’ll go early’ but he waited too long for me to get a run at Michael (Morkov) and I should have really fought for my teammate’s wheel and gone from there. I dropped the speed too much and I had to try and accelerate it again but it was just too late.”

World Champion Mads Pederson of Trek Segafredo took second in today’s stage with Nicolas Roche’s teammate Cees Bol third, just ahead of Bennett.

4th place wasn’t the outcome we were hoping for. A little bit of misjudgement on my part in the final. I was feeling good so I can take a lot of confidence from this. Big thanks to the @deceuninck_qst boys for the great work today. Looking forward to stage 3.
@GettyImages pic.twitter.com/B4fDsF4EPl

— Sam Bennett (@Sammmy_Be) August 29, 2020

Today’s Grand Départ which consisted of three loops around Nice, with two third category climbs and a flat finale was made for the sprinters.

As the nerves in the peloton came to the fore in dangerous cycling conditions, a mix of single riders losing traction on corners to large falls that brought down entire sections of the peloton marred Saturday’s action.

Sam Bennett, who was one of those to go down early in the day, also required a wheel change which forced him to chase back into the main peloton. Contenders for the General Classification Colombian Nairo Quintana and Julian Alaphilippe also fell, as did Australian Caleb Ewan, who was seen as a pre-stage favourite for victory today.

Alexander Kristoff’s 4^th career stage victory at the Tour de France gives UAE Team Emirates their first ever yellow jersey and it is the first time for the Norwegian in yellow.

Stage winner Alexander Kristoff receives the yellow jersey: Credit: Bettini Photo/UAE Team Emirates.

Reacting to his victory, the 33-year-old former Norwegian National Road Race Champion admitted:

“It’s a dream to wear the yellow jersey, I don’t think you can ask for anything better. The team came here to aim for the General Classification and some sprint stages. I was hoping, but I didn’t think I would win so early. Today I was riding well and I was able to give my best on the final straight.”

The other Irish riders in this year’s Tour, Dan Martin (Israel Start Up Nation) and Nicolas Roche (Team Sunweb) were both caught up by late crashes but appeared uninjured as they crossed the finishing line on Promenade des Anglais in Nice.

Tomorrow’s second stage of 186 kilometres will start and finish in Nice. The hilly route features the Col de la Colomiane, Col de Turini, Col d’Eze and Col des Quatres Chemins.

Stage 1 Result:
1. Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirate) 3h46’23 “
2. Mads Pedersen (Trek – Segafredo) s.t.
3. Cees Bol (Team Sunweb) s.t.
4. Sam Bennett (Deceuninck – Quick Step) s.t.

102. Nicolas Roche (Team Sunweb) s.t.
118. Dan Martin (Israel Start-Up Nation) s.t.

General Classification after Stage 1:
1. Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirate) 3h46’13”
2. Mads Pedersen (Trek – Segafredo) + 4 seconds.
3. Cees Bol (Team Sunweb) + 6 seconds
4. Sam Bennett (Deceuninck – Quick Step) + 10 seconds

102. Nicolas Roche (Team Sunweb) + 10 seconds.
118. Dan Martin (Israel Start-Up Nation) + 10 seconds.

The full stage result and overall classification can be viewed here.

Tour de France 2020 stage by stage updates

Every Irish cycling fan will be hoping that Sam Bennett can win a stage at the 2020 Tour de France. Sports News Ireland will provide stage by stage updates and will also have news on the other riders Nicolas Roche and Dan Martin at this year’s Grand Boucle.

Monaco resident Sam Bennett will cycle on roads very familiar to him when the 2020 Tour de France gets underway in Nice on Saturday.

The Flanders, Belgium-born Irish rider will head the Deceuninck – Quick Step team along with Frenchman Julian Alapjilippe, the man who lead the 2019 Tour de France until the last Friday of the race.

Twenty-nine-year-old Bennett admits that the local roads will pose a test for the participants, jokingly admitting:

“Normally I should be looking forward to the Tour but I know how hard the roads are so it’s going to be difficult, but yes it’s very nice to be racing on ‘home’ roads, well second-home roads.”

STAGE 1

Bennett finishes fourth in his first sprint finish

🏆 🇳🇴 @Kristoff87 wins the first stage! 🏆

🏆 🇳🇴 @Kristoff87 remporte cette première étape ! 🏆#TDF2020 #TDFunited pic.twitter.com/yP7w9xtwxi

— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) August 29, 2020

World Darts Grand Prix moves from Dublin to Coventry in 2020

The World Grand Prix Darts will be held behind closed doors at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena from October 6-12 2020.

The famous double-start tournament had been due to be held for a 20th time at Dublin’s Citywest Convention Centre later this year, with the venue having become a popular destination for darts fans since first hosting the World Grand Prix in 2001.

However, the ongoing effects of the coronavirus pandemic mean that it is not possible for the World Grand Prix to be held in Dublin in 2020, as the event follows the World Matchplay and Premier League in being staged behind closed doors.

The World Grand Prix will now take place from October 6-12 at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry, a venue which has previously hosted the Premier League as well as a number of PDC ProTour weekends.

“The BoyleSports World Grand Prix is one of the highlights of the PDC calendar and whilst we’re disappointed we will not be at the Citywest Convention Centre in 2020, we can now look forward to an exciting and entertaining event at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry,” said PDC Chief Executive Matt Porter.

“We saw an outstanding standard of play at the recent World Matchplay and are sure that will continue in the World Grand Prix, which remains a challenging and unique event due to the double-start format.

“The Citywest Convention Centre remains part of our plans for 2021 and beyond and we thank them for their support in exploring all options for the event to have taken place in Dublin this year.”

Ricoh Arena Commercial Venue Director Paul Michael said: “We are really excited and honoured to be able to host the 2020 BoyleSports World Grand Prix behind closed doors.

“This event will strengthen our relationship with the PDC, and demonstrate the diversity of the venue and its ambition to encourage more elite sports to Coventry.”

Play will commence with the first round split across two nights on October 6-7, with the second round taking place on October 8-9.

The quarter-finals will be held on Saturday October 10, with the semi-finals on Sunday October 11 and the final on Monday October 12.

Coverage will be shown on Sky Sports, as well as through the PDC’s international broadcast partners including RTL7 and DAZN and for PDCTV Rest of the World Subscribers.

2020 BoyleSports World Grand Prix

Ricoh Arena, Coventry

Tuesday October 6 (1900 BST)

8x First Round

Wednesday October 7 (1900 BST)

8x First Round

Thursday October 8 (1900 BST)

4x Second Round

Friday October 9 (1900 BST)

4x Second Round

Saturday October 10 (1900 BST)

Quarter-Finals

Sunday October 11 (1900 BST)

Semi-Finals

Monday October 12 (2000 BST)

Final

Alli Murphy delight with Ireland call up for Germany match

It’s been a long journey to reach this point, with spells playing in five different countries, but Alli Murphy is ready to add her international football call up to her list of experiences.

The Texas-born midfielder received a first call-up to the Republic of Ireland Women’s Senior Team for the UEFA Women’s EURO 2021 qualifier away to Germany and she’s excited to get going.

Murphy has held her Irish passport – secured through her Limerick-born grandparents – for several years now and it has helped her with moves to Sweden, Netherlands, Iceland, and, now, England.

GETTING THE CALL UP

Getting the call to be part of Vera Pauw’s squad for the Germany game on September 19 was unexpected but very much welcomed by the 26-year-old.

“It was a surprise, but a good surprise, to hear that I was included in the Ireland squad. I’ve always wanted to use my Irish heritage to make myself available for the team so it’s great to be in the coach’s thoughts,” said Murphy.

Following a stand-out college career with Texas Tech University (where she was Team MVP and qualified as a Civil Engineer), Murphy was selected at No 20 in the 2016 NWSL Draft by Washington Spirit. That proved to be a mixed experience so she went abroad to seek more playing time in Sweden with Gustafs GoIF.

With the more games that she played, Murphy knew that she belonged at a higher level. She won the golden boot for most goals scored during her time in Sweden but took a chance of returning home by jumping into open trials with the Houston Dash – who were managed at the time by Vera Pauw.

After an enjoyable spell with Houston, Murphy switched to Dutch club Pec Zwolle in June 2018 where she featured in the Dutch Women’s Cup Final against Ajax. And then another call came to pack her bags and fly to Iceland to link up with Selfoss, where she did win the Cup this time.

COVID-19

Since then COVID-19 hit and she was grounded back home in Texas, training on her own and helping to coach local kids. That was until London City Lionesses (who are managed by Dubliner Lisa Fallon) reached out and her wanderlust bug was reignited. She will get started with them on September 6th with the beginning of the new FA Women’s Championship season.

“I’m excited to get going with London City. It’s been a crazy few years. Then we had COVID hit, so now that football is back I’m excited to get playing again,” said Murphy.

“Lisa (Fallon) called me and the second that she started talking I felt like I had been transported back to Ireland, sitting back in my Granny’s kitchen listening to her saying ‘Go on, Go on, Go on’. So I smile every time she talks to me because it feels like home.

“I’ve played in different countries and had different experiences so I’m ready for this one. I’ve played mostly as a midfielder but I can play on the wing, up front or even at right-back, so I would say that I’m a versatile player who just wants to help the team out.

“It is fantastic to get the call-up for Ireland, but I want to get some games in with London City Lionesses first and get my fitness levels up. Then I’ll be in a much better position.”

This will not be Murphy’s first exposure to the Ireland set-up as she previously trained with Sue Ronan’s squad during a trip to the United States, but a bout of flu meant that she was not in the best condition to earn a full call-up.

Still, she has long held ambitions of pulling on that green jersey and will do everything that she can to make the final cut of 23 players for the Germany squad.

Match Details
Germany v Republic of Ireland
UEFA 2021 Women’s European Championship Qualifying – Group I
Saturday, September 19
Stadion Essen
KO 13:00 (Irish Time)
#GERIRL

Ryan Moore talks about his four rides with good chances at Goodwood

Ryan Moore talks about his four rides with good chances at Goodwood and also thinks racegoers being allowed back into tracks is a step in the right direction for horse racing.

Saturday – Goodwood

13:50 – Prado

She did it very nicely on her debut on fast ground at Salisbury, and the form looks decent enough with the experienced runner-up going one better in a nursery last time. Of course, she will have different conditions to cope with here as she steps up markedly in class – and the bare form of her win leaves her with a lot to find in this Group 3 – but of course the potential is there after just the one run.

14:25 – Breath Of Air

He is a horse I know well. He would probably prefer better ground but he has form with ease, and he only just got touched off at Haydock last time. He has gone up 1lb for that, but that small rise was to be expected and he clearly has his chance. The better the ground, the better his chance.

In good nick but Benbatl is the one to beat

15:35 – Regal Reality

All the form horses in here would like better ground than they are likely to get, and I imagine we might lose one or two to the weather by Saturday afternoon if we get more rain. My horse would certainly like it quicker, but he ran well in soft ground when third in the Wolferton first time up and he was back to form when winning well in a first-time visor at Salisbury last time.

Hopefully, he is in the same nick here and can handle conditions better than most, but Benbatl is clearly the horse to beat on form. He is rated 125 and he deserves to be on that level.

Solid each-way chance – Ryan Moore rides

16:10 – Frontispiece

He has run two solid races this season. I rode him when he was second at Newmarket on his comeback and he occupied the same position at Newbury last time, when he met an improver and finished nicely clear of the third. He has gone up 1lb for that defeat, but he still gets into this 0-85 off his revised mark of 87, and he will enjoy the ground. He has another solid each-way chance.

Green light for racegoers a vital development

It is obviously great news that racegoers are set to get back on track, with the four-day St Leger meeting, starting at Doncaster on September 9, one of those chosen for the Government-approved trials and pilot schemes for sports.

I don’t think it will make that much difference to jockeys on a professional and working level, to be honest.

However, personally, I am delighted that that we have crowds back. There is no upside whatsoever to empty racecourses, and I prefer the atmosphere racegoers and owners generate.

I imagine the jockeys will still have to abide by the same strict distancing protocols that we have been racing under behind closed doors – as will the racegoers by the sound of it – so it will continue to be business as usual in that respect.

But, of course, it is vital and to be welcomed that crowds are back for the financial health of the sport.

And it is essential that we get all owners who want to attend back through the gates. They have been some of the big losers in all of this, not being able to see their horses at first hand in anything approaching a normal racing environment.

From a jockeys’ perspective, racing doesn’t necessarily need crowds to operate as a sport. We see that at plenty of all-weather meetings, and the racetrack is a place of work for jockeys.

However, for the finances of the sport and the enjoyment and engagement of all its participants, Wednesday’s news was obviously a crucial development, and a big step in the right direction.

Fingers crossed the health of the nation allows us to get back to something approaching normality now.

Ryan Moore was speaking to Betfair.

Joseph O’Brien discusses his runners at Navan and Wexford on Saturday

Joseph O’Brien discusses his four runners at Navan and two at Wexford on Saturday as Galileo Chrome bids to continue his progress

Navan

Starting to come good

13:45 – Tar Heel

Tar Heel has been a bit of a work in progress, but he is starting to put it together. His last two runs have represented improvement and he was a little bit unlucky not to go even closer at Naas last weekend. That form entitles him to go well in this company and with a bit of a luck he’ll be involved in the finish.

Lovely filly with as good a chance as any

15:25 – Sense Of Style

Sense Of Style is a lovely filly and was narrowly beaten at Dundalk last time. She’ll need to prove her stamina for this longer trip on what is a stiffer track, but I’m hopeful she’ll be fine over it. This looks a decent maiden, but she looks to have as good a chance as any.

Hopeful GC can get the job done

17:05 – Galileo Chrome and Degraves

Galileo Chrome is a horse we’ve always had a very high opinion of and it was great to see him do what he did in a winner’s race at Leopardstown last time. This race represents another steady step up the ladder for him and the main unknown is the longer trip. We had intended to run him in the Irish Derby a couple of months ago until a late setback ruled him out, so we’ve always thought he would stay this sort of trip. This looks a good opportunity for him to continue his progression, so hopefully he’ll get the job done.

Degraves is another with his stamina to prove. He took a step forward from his seasonal reappearance to run well in Group 3 company last time, so hopefully he can come forward again from that.

Joseph O’Brien Runners at Wexford

Another chance to gain experience

14:30 – Morning Beatrice

Morning Beatrice needed the run and experience on her racecourse debut in a maiden hurdle at Sligo. Hopefully she will show more with that under her belt in this.

Read to run a big race

15:40 – Us And Them

Us And Them has been a shade disappointing since his very good novice chase campaign, but he has run a couple of great races in that time, most notably when third in the Grand Annual at the Cheltenham Festival last March. Returning to this shorter trip in this less competitive race should help him and hopefully he’ll run a big race.

Joseph O’’Brien was speaking to Betfair.

Is it finally JJ Hanrahan’s time to shine?

Munster coach Stephen Larkham praised JJ Hanrahan this week for his understanding of the game. A patient, careful game-plan is always required when playing the 2019 Pro14 Champions.

Thankfully, Munster had just the man to implement such a strategy. Hanrahan and Murray provided a strong base for Munster’s powerful centers to attack through. Ultimately, this led to their three tries coming from Conway and Earls on the wings. The only blemish on an otherwise solid performance from the Kerry man was a missed conversion from the right touchline. This allowed Leinster to escape with a draw but Munster won’t be demoralized.

A Long Road

Rewind to 2018 and history is repeating itself for JJ Hanrahan. The signing of Joey Carbery undermines Hanrahan’s role at the club. Similarly, following the retirement of Ronan O’Gara in 2013, Hanrahan was a strong contender to be his successor. However, that mantle fell to Ian Keatley despite good form from Hanrahan. As a result, he left to join the Northampton Saints in 2015 for more game time.

Injuries prevented this however and he returned to Thomond Park in 2017. This marked a return to form. As a result, a new two-year deal in December 2018 followed. His patience finally looks set to pay off with an extended run in the team. Carbery’s ongoing ankle injury has ruled him out for an “indefinite period of time”. In addition to this, Tyler Bleyendaal’s forced retirement this May leaves Hanrahan as the unopposed out-half.

With a plethora of rugby to be played in the next twelve months, this is Hanrahan’s chance to come of age. At 28 he’s no prospect. However, his own setbacks are likely to ensure he won’t let such a chance go by.

https://twitter.com/Munsterrugby/status/1299299194029649927

http://34.245.76.62/rugby/rugby_irish/which-players-will-make-cut-for-british-and-irish-lions-in-2021-tour/

📢 TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT | The Munster side has been named for Sunday's crunch #GuinnessPRO14 clash against Connacht in Dublin (3pm).@LongDogBeirne returns for his first appearance since last December as one of five changes.

Full team details ⤵️#MUNvCON #SUAF 🔴

— Munster Rugby (@Munsterrugby) August 28, 2020

List of streamed GAA matches and Live GAA on TV

This year’s absence of GAA inter-county Championships has not left fans starved of action. Club championships across the country are reaching their knockout stages. Thankfully, RTE and TG4 are aboard the GAA TV bandwagon and are ensuring we don’t miss a beat with live on TV and streamed matches.

Click here to purchase our streamed games this weekend. €6 per game or €10 for a day pass. https://t.co/Ef7lOwkYtI pic.twitter.com/uiZ8EU1Iib

— Kilkenny GAA (@KilkennyCLG) August 28, 2020

Friday 28th

TG4 has granted its Friday night GAA Beo slot to the Tyrone senior football quarter-final between Killyclogher and Trillick. 2019 champions Trillick overcame Galbally to earn their quarter-final place a fortnight ago. Tyrone teammates Matty Donnelly and Tiernan McCann is a match-up to look out for. Throw-in is at 7.30.

Club giants Corofin are in action in Galway against An Cheathrú Rua at 7pm. Go to Galway senior football’s live stream to buy a pass for this one.

In Leinster, the pick of the games available is from Meath GAA TV where you can catch Wolfe Tones up against Moynalvey at 7.30.

A format to be replicated again beyond 2020?@Shelmaliers' @donohoe_simon speaks to @BrenCummins1 @me_stafford & @RoryONeill1990 about the benefits of this summer's Wexford championship structure #rtegaa

🎧 Full Podcast: https://t.co/L1hgvfuQoC pic.twitter.com/BYkEkO97G2

— RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) August 27, 2020

Saturday 29th

RTE have given the spotlight to Mayo clubs this weekend for a Saturday night quarter-final double-header in McHale Park. Defending champions Ballintubber face off against Knockmore at 5.30. Following this, Andy Moran’s Ballaghaderreen takes on Aiden O’Shea’s Breaffy at 7.30.

Dubs TV is also offering quarter-finals on Saturday with St. Jude’s against Skerries Harps at 3pm. After this, Paul Mannion and Diarmuid Connolly do battle when Kilmacud Crokes tackle St. Vincent’s.

Hurling fans can find action in the opening round of the Kilkenny SHC. Kilkenny GAA is covering Ballyhale Shamrocks and Rower-Inistioge’s game at 2pm. Later, Danesfort and Mullinavat open their campaigns at 5pm.

In Cork, Douglas and Midleton go head-to-head at 7pm in SHC for a winner takes all clash.

In Kerry, the football continues. The county board is streaming Killarney Legion v St. Brendan’s at 5pm as an opener to East Kerry’s tie with St. Kieran’s at 7.15.

Sunday 30th

The final two quarter-final ties from the Mayo SFC are on Mayo GAA TV. Firstly, Westport take on intermediate champions The Neale at 2pm. Secondly, Ballina play Aghamore at 4pm.

Roscommon GAA have a full schedule as they’re offering streams for all three of the quarter-finals taking place in the SFC. Roscommon Gaels v Padraig Pearses at 1pm, Michael Glavey’s v St. Brigid’s at 4pm, and Western Gaels v Clann na nGael at 5pm.

Dubs TV are again making sure fans can watch the SFC quarter-finals. Holders Ballyboden St-Enda’s play Brian Fenton’s Raheny at 2pm and Ballymun Kickhams challenge Na Fianna at 4.30pm.

In Meath, Ratoath take on Simonstown Gaels at 4pm on Meath GAA TV.

Club hurling continues in Kilkenny when Bennettsbridge play Graigue-Ballycallan at 2pm and Tullaroan play Erins Own at 5pm.

Waterford is the destination for TG4’s coverage on Sunday for the SHC decider between Ballygunner and Passage at 2pm.

Tipperary SHC is also offering live-streams for its quarter-finals. Champions Borris-Ileigh will attempt to fend off Drom-Inch at 6pm. Prior to this, Clonoulty-Rossmore and Loughmore-Castleiney do battle at 2pm.

Kerry’s SFC quarter-finals will be concluded on Sunday after Dr Crokes play Templenoe at 2pm and Mid Kerry go up against Kenmare Shamrocks at 4pm. Catch both games on Kerry GAA’s streaming service.

Whatever your GAA vice, the amount of GAA streamed club games on show will not have you deprived.

http://34.245.76.62/gaa/how-the-gaa-calendar-can-benefit-from-2020s-improvised-version/

https://www.dublingaa.ie/news/dubs-tv-live-streams-dublin-senior-1-football-quarter-finals

Tour De France “It’s the hardest race, the most beautiful race”

Nicolas Roche, one of three Irish riders in this year’s Tour de France, is looking forward to starting the first Grand Tour of the season in Nice on Saturday, the town he has lived in for almost 20 years.

The son of Irish cycling legend Stephen, Nico, is “pretty excited (as) I’ve been looking forward to this Tour for over a year now. Starting in Nice, I was looking forward to it in November when they announced it.”

This will in fact be the third time in the 36-year-old’s career that the Grand Boucle has started in the Nice area, with the riding adding: “I’ve also been lucky with the Tour in Ireland so I can’t complain with the itineraries.”

Since November’s announcement of the Grand Départ in the south east of France, Nicolas had been looking forward to racing on roads he knows very well, in front of his family and school friends who were “looking forward to coming here and enjoying the Tour de France, obviously it’s a little bit different now,” he adds.

Despite the usual start time of August for the Tour de France every rider is at the same stage of fitness and preparation due to the postponement and rescheduling of some of the season’s main races:

“2020 you just have to reset your standards and create a new normality. We’re all at the same point, it’s no different for anyone”, Nicolas explains. “For me it was key that the Tour de France happened and they’ve managed luckily enough to have it this time of the year – we just have to adapt”, he says matter of factly.

He continues by reiterating that all participants starting Saturday’s Tour are equal, and not one of them has an advantage over the other as a result of the enforced interruptions to the 2020 season:

“We’re all at the same standards and it’s the same for everybody – I’m actually happy we can start and get on with it because it’s so important for us athletes, but also for teams, the media and the business as a whole.”

While the Nice-based rider was in lockdown in France, initially for a fortnight, and then for an extended period of time, he trained at home on the balcony, a regime which was blended in with the rest of his training. With most teams organising new schedules after the Covid-19 lockdown, new training camps were tried to get ready in the best way for the Tour de France.

Looking back now on his training regime during what should have been a busy part of the racing season, Roche professes to having “trained like a maniac on the trainer” as he always believed the 2020 season would be rescued in some way.

“Everyone was asking me afterwards why did you train so hard? It’s easy to look back today and say I should have backed off because the Tour (de France) is in August but back in the lockdown, initially it was only a 2 week lockdown and racing and the Olympics and everything was still going to happen.”

The former Irish Road Race champion continues explaining about his mindset:

“It’s easy to say now, Nico you trained too hard on your home trainer but back then in early March we had no idea what was going to happen. Most people thought the Tour of Romandie was going to happen the first week of May, so for me it was about doing two weeks on the home trainer and that was it. And then after two weeks, they said it was going to be four weeks.”

With local knowledge of roads always an important factor in the sport, Nicolas feel with the unseasonal forecast for this weekend, his local insight may be an advantage to his and his team’s safety on the opening weekend of Le Tour.

“You know the good parts of the road but you also know the bad parts of the road. They’re forecasting storms for tomorrow (Saturday) and I know that these roads are lethal in the wet and I have a little bit of fear of the rain on the roads as it hasn’t rained here for a while so they could be greasy”, he warns.

Looking ahead to Sunday’s second stage, the Irish rider says the weather could potentially make racing conditions dangerous:

“Sunday’s stage is quite tricky as well and we go quite high at altitude so that will be a little more problematic if it rains. In this Tour we’re going to get some heavy showers, we’re going to get thunderstorms, we’re going to get maybe snow as it’s very common it snows in the month of September in France.”

He emphasizes that we could witness a radical change in weather conditions throughout the three weeks of racing:

“We’re in Nice, south of France, the end of August, it should be 25 degrees of sun and the day of the Tour (start) it’s going to rain and it’s probably going to be sun again next week when we leave again. I think our issue this year is going to be the real radical change of weather that we could have: 25 degrees one day and 5 degrees and rain the other day, and that is really difficult on your body.”

If the conditions are right on Sunday, Roche is adamant the route would suit a breakaway:

“It’s (Sunday) a perfect day for a breakaway as it’s really difficult. It is a really really open stage and I think on TV we could see some great racing as the roads are perfect for it.”

With Team Sunweb undertaking their first Grand Tour since the departure of Tom Dumoulin, meaning the German outfit will not have General Classification ambitions, what exactly is Nicolas Roche’s role?

“My role here is pretty open. The team has come with a sprinter’s train and then four all-rounders; we have no interest in the General Classification. Our role is to take it day by day and try and make the most of the day, so on those 4 or 5 flatter stages I will be in a little bit of support of the sprinter’s team. It doesn’t mean I’ll be doing lead-out, but it means that in the last 20km I’ll help to position the train so they don’t have to commit too early so they actually do their own lead-out. At about 20km to go, I get into position and ride for about 10km to keep them out of the way and keep them safe when we start this drag racing. Then I swing off when the race gets a little crazier and I get out of the way for the sprint.”

While success for Team Subweb would be a stage win, or wins, Nico feels he may finally achieve that coveted Tour de France stage win to add to his 3 previous Grand Tour stage successes.

“Obviously a stage win is something I have been chasing now for the last couple of years and have been so close so many times but I haven’t managed to nail it. There are a lot of opportunities in the Tour. There are a lot of higher mountain stages that are going to be very tough but there are also a lot of medium mountain stages where usually breakaways have a better chance to ride – so my goal would be to get those opportunities. One of my dreams when I was a child was to win a stage in the Tour de France. I haven’t done that yet so I’m still chasing that dream – that would be a very successful Tour” he acknowledges.

Team Sunweb will target stage wins rather than the General Classification. Credit: © Team Sunweb/Patrick Brunt.

Belgian Toesj Benoot will lead Roche’s Team Sunweb and will be accompanied by sprinters Cees Bol from the Netherlands and German Nikias Arndt. Rouleurs Søren Kragh Andersen of Denmark and Jasha Sutterlin from Germany will add strength to the team to assist talented young riders Swiss Marc Hirschi and Dutchman Joris Nieuwenhuis who will be making their Grand Tour debuts.

Le Tour de France 2020, beginning on Saturday with what Nico describes as “apparently one of the toughest weeks ever in the Tour de France – definitely the toughest week I’ve done”, the Grand Tour will then wind its way around France before ending in Paris on September 20.

Nicolas Roche will be joined by fellow Irish riders Sam Bennett of Deceuninck – Quick Step and Dan Martin of Israel Start-Up Nation in “the hardest race, the most beautiful race.”

Dan Martin is “physically ready, and mentally even more so” for Le Tour

Dan Martin will lead team Israel Start-Up Nation in the Tour de France – the first time an Israeli team will participate in the world’s greatest cycling race. The strong line-up supporting the Irishman includes Guy Niv, who will become the first Israeli rider ever to compete in the Tour, which begins on Saturday.

Martin, who won stages in the 2013 and 2018 Tours respectively was strong on his return to racing after the Covid-19 shutdown but suffered a sacral fracture in the second stage of the recent Critérium du Dauphiné.

“It’s a relief to be here” admits the Irish rider who will start his 8^th Tour de France this weekend, “but also excitement as well” he continues, “as starting the Tour de France is always very special. The circumstances this year make it even more so.”

Rest, treatment and therapy have been effective, and he says, “I feel I am ready. I feel I can do something here in the Tour (but) expect to suffer through the first stages as I have missed a bit of training.”

Reflecting back on the Dauphiné crash on August 13, Martin concedes:

“It was quite a severe injury I had. I still have a fracture. Obviously it’s far from ideal and fortunately I’m here on the start line and that’s the most important thing.”

With his injury occurring only a few weeks before the Grand Départ in Nice, the Tour de France’s 2018 combativity award winner dispels any doubts about his health, physically or mentally, heading into three difficult weeks of racing:

“I would not be here if I wasn’t completely healthy and able to race because I would never take the opportunity to start the Tour de France away from one of my team mates if I wasn’t back to pretty much full health.”

Heading into this year’s Critérium du Dauphiné, a traditional prep-race for many of the Tour de France’s main participants, Martin admits to having being in good shape:

“Going into Dauphiné I was feeling in incredible condition – you don’t just lose that. It’s only been two weeks since I crashed and you don’t lose too much condition in that time.”

Though he concedes he would be happier starting Saturday’s race if he had more work done, he looks at the positive of having had an injury-enforced rest, saying:

“It would have been nice to have done a little more work but hopefully that extra little bit of rest will pay off in the third week because this is one of the most incredibly difficult Grand Tours I’ve ever seen, if not the hardest. I think it’s going to be a very challenging third week. Physically I’m ready, and mentally even more so.”

Dan Martin will lead his team in the many mountainous stages while German 11-time stage winner André Greipel will contest the sprints in his tenth consecutive Tour.

Israel Start-Up Nation’s Team Manager Kjell Carlström clearly states the squad’s aim is to win a stage at its maiden Tour:

“We have put together the team that we believe is best to execute our strategy. We are hunting for stage wins and as the route is demanding, we have ensured that we have all possibilities covered. All the teams, of course, are out for success, but we’re focused on our goal to win a stage.”

With Martin not having to concern himself with the General Classification as a result, there will be less pressure on the Irishman entering this year’s delayed Grand Boucle, something that sits easily with the former UAE Team Emirates rider:

“It’s very nice going in with no pressure on for the General Classification and I’m sure we’ll let the race unfold.”

“The main aim for the team is a stage victory”, Martin stresses, “Obviously riding the General Classification limits your opportunities as a rider to contest for stages. With the mentality of going for stage victories, the General Classification is really tricky. For us to realise our ambition for the team to get a stage victory, it’s sensible.”

With stage victories in mind, the game plan is as follows, Martin explains:

“As a team we’ll go forward and look at every stage. We can really pack every day as a new day (since we’re not contesting the GC) and try and find a tactic that we can influence to get the best result.”

With three top-ten finishes in the General Classification to his name, his experience of professional cycling tells him that despite the team plan, their priorities may change in the latter stages of the Tour:

“Obviously you never know what is going to happen. If we get to the third week and I’m there or thereabouts, we will look at it.”

Along with Martin, Greipel and Niv, the team’s strong line-up also includes Classics specialist Nils Politt, French rider Hugo Hofstetter, Krists Neilands, Ben Hermans and Tom Van Asbroeck, an outfit Martin believes “can adapt to the specifics of each day, can come together as a team to support the best rider – the rider who is best suited to the stage that we have.”

Dan Martin will be one of three Irish riders in Le Tour this year, with his first cousin Nicolas Roche, who will ride with Team Sunweb, and Sam Bennett of Deceuninck – Quick Step also starting in Nice on Saturday.

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