Stephen Roche

Stephen Roche
Roche at the 1993 Tour de France
Personal information
Full nameStephen Roche
Born (1959-11-28) 28 November 1959 (age 64)
Dundrum, County Dublin, Ireland
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight74 kg (163 lb; 11 st 9 lb)
Team information
Current teamRetired
DisciplineRoad
RoleRider
Rider typeAll-rounder
Amateur teams
1974–1979Orwell Wheelers
1980A.C.B.B.
Professional teams
1981–1983Peugeot–Esso–Michelin
1984–1985La Redoute
1986–1987Carrera–Inoxpran
1988–1989Fagor–MBK
1990Histor–Sigma
1991Tonton Tapis–GB
1992–1993Carrera Jeans–Vagabond
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)
Medal record
Representing  Ireland
Men's road bicycle racing
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1987 Villach Elite Men's Road Race
Bronze medal – third place 1983 Altenrhein Elite Men's Road Race

Stephen Roche (/ˈr/; born 28 November 1959) is an Irish former professional road racing cyclist. In a 13-year professional career, he peaked in 1987, becoming the second of only three cyclists to win the Triple Crown of victories in the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia general classification, plus the World road race championship, the others being Eddy Merckx and Tadej Pogačar. Roche's rise coincided with that of fellow Irishman Sean Kelly.

Although one of the finest cyclists of his generation and admired for his pedalling style, he struggled with knee injuries and never contended in the Grand Tours post-1987. He had 58 professional career wins.