Roche secures Tour selection

Ireland’s Nicolas Roche is one of three riders pre-selected for the Tour e France by the Ag2r-La Mondiale team. Frenchmen John Gadret and Christophe Riblon have also been named for the final nine-rider squad, while 12 other riders are under consideration for the remaining six places.

Roche tore his hamstring during the Tour de Romandie in late April and spent several weeks out of action, but has recovered well and finished fourth in the recent GP Canton d’Argovie. He is currently riding the Tour de Suisse.

Gadret finished 13th in the Giro d’Italia, while Riblon was seventh overall in the Critérium du Dauphiné.

Amongst the 12 riders fighting for Tour de France selection are Italy’s Rinaldo Nocentini, who wore the yellow jersey during last year’s Tour de France and current French national champion Dimitri Champion.

Nocentini broke his leg in February and is riding the Tour de Suisse to find some form and secure a place in the Tour de France.

The other riders are: Maxime Bouet, Cyril Dessel, Hubert Dupont, David Le Lay, Julien Loubet, Lloyd Mondory, Ludovic Turpin, Jose-Luis Arrieta, Vladimir Efimkin and Martin Elmiger.