Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2003

By Paul Gains
Photos by Shane Stokes, Irishcycling.com

Although cycling legends Eddie Merckx and Stephen Roche have long been retired from professional cycling today they take great pride in seeing their sons carry on the family tradition.

In the colours of Belgium's Lotto-Domo team Axel Merckx won the Tour d'Ain this season and has earned praise from his father for his ability. The elder Merckx, known as "The Cannibal" for the manner in which he dispatched his foes, has high hopes for his 31-year old son at the 2003 Road World Cycling Championships. Nevertheless, he is quick to point out that his interest is merely that of a proud father and he keeps his distance when it comes to training advice.

"He is part of a professional team so we speak together but he has his own trainer his own mechanics his own sports director," the elder Merckx said recently of his son. "So yes we speak but he is already in a professional team. I hope he will make the podium. I think he is in good shape now and he is also really good motivation because his wife is also from Canada so I think he will be very very motivated."

While the Merckx name is renowned throughout the cycling world - after all Merckx racked up five Tour de France victories as well as three world championship titles - the Roches are the toast of Ireland.

Nicolas Roche was just a wee four year old when in 1987 his father won the Tour De France, the Giro d'Italia and the World Championships the same year. He's still just 19 years old. In a small country like Ireland the younger Roche has mighty big shoes to fill over the next few years and he is introspective about what influences his father has had on his career.

"Like everything there is a good side and a bad side. There's always advantages and disadvantages," Nicolas said Monday from his home in Paris. "He tried to keep me away from cycling for as long as possible. Even though he didn't actually say he was keeping me away from it he was putting me into different sports and letting me come naturally into cycling later on. I played rugby and soccer for a while. He pushed me into playing those sports then finally one day he asked me if I wanted to do a local cycling race."

Roche was 13 when he made his debut and finished "a lucky second". From then on he was hooked, entering races on successive weekends, much to his father's delight. Of course the presence of cycling trophies, cycling jerseys and other mementos' of his father's career around their home, not to mention a garage filled with bicycles, left an indelible mark upon him.

"My team gives me advice on the training program because my dad is more than occupied to look after that and he doesn't want to hear too much about it either," says Nicolas. "He likes to see me do my own things. On the other hand when he sees me going wrong he always tries to put me back on the straight road."

"If he sees I start eating too much he will say 'watch your diet.' And if sees I am not training enough he will say 'what about your training this week? Do you think it's enough?' He never actually gives me direct advice but he always makes me realise my mistakes."

Roche will compete for Ireland in both the time trial and road race (under 23 category) although he would have been eligible to wear French colours having been born in Paris.

"Also Ireland is where I started cycling and also I feel a bit more of the Irish side than the French side even though I was born in France," he explains. "I really enjoyed my years living in Ireland so when I had the possibility to choose Irish nationality I agreed right away."

A year ago in Zolder, Roche broke away from the pack midway through the race leaving an impression on both the spectators and his fellow competitors. If he achieves a podium position this time around you can be sure that all of Ireland will celebrate. So too will a proud father.