Nicolas Roche confirmed for BMC for 2017 season
Team Sky's Nicolas Roche will team up with Richie Porte and Tejay van Garderen at BMC for the 2017 season

Nicholas Roche wins Stage 18 of the 2015 Vuelta Espana from Haimar Zubeldia
Nicolas Roche, Irish champion in both the road race and time trial, will race for BMC in 2017, confirming that he will leave Team Sky after two seasons.
The American outfit will be Roche's sixth top tier team in his 12-year career, having started at Cofidis and also ridden for Credit Agricole, Ag2r La Mondiale and Tinkoff-Saxo before arriving at Team Sky in 2015.
He helped Chris Froome to Tour de France glory in his first season and also won a stage of the Vuelta a España in the same year. This season he finished second at the Tour de Yorkshire and ninth at this weekend's Clasica San Sebastian.
"Nicolas brings a wealth of experience and is exactly the sort of rider we are looking for to support our Grand Tour ambitions and work for his own personal objectives. A lot of our goals are centred around Grand Tours and we felt we needed an additional rider who could bring us experience in that field," BMC general manager Jim Ochowicz explained.
>>> Cycling transfers 2017: All the ins and outs from the WorldTour
Roche rode seven consecutive Tours de France between 2009 and 2015, finishing 12th for Ag2r in 2012. The Irishman Grand Tour credentials were cemented with top-10 finishes in the Vuelta in 2010 and 2013.
"I'm super excited because BMC is a team that rides with a lot of the characteristics that I like. They're always up the front, riding with aggression and trying to make an exciting race. I think I'll enjoy the aggressive style of racing," Roche said.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
"Looking ahead to the 2017 season, my main role will be to really support Richie Porte and Tejay van Garderen in their general classification ambitions, and hopefully I'll have a good go at the Vuelta a Espãna."
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Stuart Clarke is a News Associates trained journalist who has worked for the likes of the British Olympic Associate, British Rowing and the England and Wales Cricket Board, and of course Cycling Weekly. His work at Cycling Weekly has focused upon professional racing, following the World Tour races and its characters.
-
FDJ-Suez, SD Worx-Protime, Lidl-Trek confirmed for Tour of Britain Women as strong list of teams announced
18 teams set to take part in four-day WorldTour stage race
By Tom Thewlis
-
Cyclists could face life sentences for killing pedestrians if new law passed in England and Wales
Reckless cycling currently carries a maximum two-year jail term
By Tom Thewlis
-
'It can really push me along' - How a velodrome comeback is making Caleb Ewan faster on the road
Australian says he'll "definitely" continue track work after rekindling passion
By Tom Davidson
-
Could Caleb Ewan be Ineos Grenadiers' first Tour de France sprinter since Mark Cavendish? 'That's my goal'
"All I can do is try to win as much as possible and prove that I deserve to be there," says Australian
By Tom Davidson
-
'An unprecedented opportunity for brands to be part of the evolution' - Ineos Grenadiers sponsor hunt steps up with sales agency partnership
Sportfive have been employed to find "non-endemic global partners for the team"
By Adam Becket
-
'We've all got a little bit extra in us this year' - Ineos Grenadiers recapture 'fighting spirit' with aggressive Paris-Nice display
British team continue to put tumultuous 2024 behind them with momentum and a new found mentality
By Tom Thewlis
-
Could a TotalEnergies deal be the end of Ineos Grenadiers as we know them?
Reports suggested this week that Ineos could be close to signing a deal with the French petrochemical firm
By Tom Thewlis
-
'They’re racing with their hearts again' - Robbie McEwen on Ineos Grenadiers' bright start to 2025
The British squad have already won four times in 2025
By Tom Thewlis
-
Ineos Grenadiers are entertaining so far this year, but how long will it last?
The British WorldTour squad have won four times already in 2025, but more than that, they have been fun. Is this the new dawn?
By Adam Becket
-
Caleb Ewan says he was put in a 'bad situation' by Jayco AlUla before he joined Ineos Grenadiers
Ewan joined Ineos Grenadiers in January after spending just one year with Jayco AlUla
By Tom Thewlis