Roche signs with AG2R La Mondiale

After winning stage one of the Tour du Limousin, Nicolas Roche signed a two-year contract with AG2R La Mondiale. Roche, a 24 year-old from Ireland, had just logged his fourth professional victory.

He had previously won a stage of the Tour de l'Avenir in 2006, the Irish time trial championships in 2007 and the GP Internacional Paredes Rota dos Moveis in Portugal earlier this year.

"Nicolas is a rider of the future. He has acquired a certain experience in the pro peloton and is today a mature rider. All of this will enable him to become faster in big races," said AG2R's Vincent Lavenu.

Roche turned pro in 2005 and now resides in Cannes, France. He is the son of Stephen Roche, who won the Tour de France, the Giro d'Italia and the World Championships in 1987.