Nicolas Roche Joins Team Sky

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Team Sky has announced the signing of Irishman Nicolas Roche as one of five new names for 2015.

The 30-year-old, who has a wealth of Grand Tour experience, is joined at the British squad by Scotland’s Andrew Fenn, Czech rider Leopold König, Dutchman Wout Poels and Norwegian Lars Petter Nordhaug, who has re-signed for Team Sky after two years away.

Roche’s signing is significant as it strengthens Chris Froome’s support for the 2015 Tour de France, while simultaneously weakening Alberto Contador’s squad as the Irishman was previously at Tinkoff-Saxo.

Roche, the son of 1987 Tour de France winner and world champion Stephen Roche, said: “It’s a great honour to sign for Team Sky and I have the opportunity to ride with some of the best riders in the world. I feel that I’m still developing as a rider so now’s the perfect time to join Team Sky and to continue my upwards path.”

Team Sky principal Sir Dave Brailsford said: “He brings a wealth of experience, having ridden 13 Grand Tours in his career, and that will be invaluable to the team. Nicolas has the perfect character and temperament for us and we expect him to play a key role next season.”

König is also likely to play a strong support role for Froome, while also riding Grand Tours for a high placing himself.

While with Team NetApp-Endura, König placed seventh in the 2014 Tour de France and he has claimed stage wins at the Vuelta a España, Tour of California and Tour of Britain.

The 24-year-old Fenn becomes Team Sky’s first Scottish rider, after moving from Mark Cavendish’s Omega Pharma-QuickStep squad. Poels becomes the first Dutchman at Team Sky and the climber has been watched by the squad for some time, while Nordhaug returns after a three-year stay from 2010 to 2012.

Brailsford added: “We’ve signed five quality riders for next season and each one of them will help strengthen and enhance the squad. We have a strong nucleus of riders at Team Sky and these signings will be excellent additions to the squad. They all bring their own qualities and we’re looking forward to welcoming them to the team and seeing them in action next season.”

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Cavendish Admits Sky Fall

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Mark Cavendish says it was hard to hide his "frustration" in his final weeks at Team Sky.

In his autobiography At Speed, serialised in The Daily Telegraph, Cavendish says he felt let down during the 2012 Tour de France, won by his then team-mate Bradley Wiggins.

A winner of 25 Tour stages, the 28-year-old criticises Team Sky - who he left after last year's Tour of Britain - for "accepting compromises" and describes head team director Sean Yates as "uninspiring and miserly in praise".

The year Wiggins became the first British rider to win the Tour de France, Cavendish himself claimed a fourth consecutive final-stage victory.

"For all that I loved Brad [Wiggins], Chris Froome, Richie Porte, they were all wrapped up in their own world - with tunnel vision," he said.

The Manxman's tally of 23 stage wins at the time surpassed seven-time Tour winner Lance Armstrong and Frenchman Andre Darrigade and moved him into fourth in the overall stage-win standings, 11 short of Belgian Eddy Merckx's record of 34.

But in September 2012, he confirmed his desire for an "amicable" split as he looked for a team that would back his aim to win sprint stages and points jerseys - and joined Belgian team Omega Pharma-QuickStep at the start of the 2013 season.

"I understood and would never have disputed that the yellow jersey should be our priority," Cavendish added. "But I had been under the impression that 'believing in better' was about big ambitions and felt sad that we were already accepting compromises."

He originally joined Sky on a three-year deal after the HTC-Highroad team disbanded at the end of the 2011 season.

At HTC, Cavendish was the team leader and had claimed 20 Tour de France stage victories prior to the 2012 season - but while at Sky he was overshadowed by Wiggins.

He said he continued to do his best, but added "it was sometimes hard to reconcile my own frustration with the team's rampant success".

Cavendish also said he was "under the spell of Lance Armstrong" - the American who won seven Tour de France titles before being stripped of them all and banned for life for doping - describing him as "mesmeric" to be around during his career.

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Martin Wins Third Road Race

Sir Bradley Wiggins missed out on a first road world title as Germany's Tony Martin took a third consecutive time trial gold with a commanding ride in Florence.

Wiggins, 33, overhauled Switzerland's Fabian Cancellara in the final third of the 57.9km course to win silver - as he did in the 2011 Championships.

But Martin had built a lead from the start and came in 46.09 seconds ahead.

"I knew it would be close but Tony was on a different level," said Wiggins.

"I just aimed to be the quickest from A to B as possible.

"Performance manager Rod Ellingworth was telling me the checkpoints but, with all the noise in the last 20 minutes, I was oblivious to everything, and was just trying to get home.

"It is an honour to be on the podium with those two guys. It will be something to show the grandkids."

After his Giro d'Italia campaign faltered amid crashes and illness and fellow Briton Chris Froome supplanted him as Tour de France champion, Wiggins had hoped to crown a strong finish to the year before his return to track cycling next season.

The 33-year-old completed a commanding victory in the Tour of Britain on Sunday, but ultimately Martin's power and his experience of the Florence course, gained during Omega Pharma-QuickStep's team victory earlier in the event, proved too great to overhaul.

Wiggins had beaten Martin en route to time trial gold at London 2012, but, having recovered from the fractured scaphoid that disrupted his Olympic preparation, the German was always in command of the race.

Martin had a lead of 13 seconds on Cancellara through the first checkpoint at 24.1km and extended that advantage to 28 seconds by 42.3 km.

While Wiggins eventually overhauled Cancellara, Martin remained well out of reach and his jubilant team started celebrating as he entered the home straight.

Three-time British time trial champion Alex Dowsett had beaten Wiggins in the Giro d'Italia time trial, but had been well off the pace in the corresponding Tour of Britain stage last week, and struggled home in 41st.

The rest of the top five was completed by Wiggins' Team Sky colleague Vasili Kiryienka of Belarus and American Taylor Phinney.

British Olympic silver medallist Lizzie Armitstead will attempt to go one better in Saturday's women's road race, before Froome, supported by Wiggins, leads Britain's charge in the men's race on Sunday. Both are live on BBC television and online.

Time trial result:

1. Tony Martin (Ger) 1:05:36.65

2. Bradley Wiggins (GB) at 46 seconds

3. Fabian Cancellara (Swi) at 48"

4. Vasili Kiriyenka (Bel) at 1:26"

5. Taylor Phinney (USA) at 1:08"

Selected others:

13. Nicolas Roche (Ire) at 3:13"

41. Alex Dowsett (GB) at 5:47"

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Wiggins Wins Tour of Britian

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Sir Bradley Wiggins added the Tour of Britain title to his collection after sealing an emphatic victory in London.

Wiggins, who won the Tour de France and Olympic time trial last year, had led since winning the third stage and began stage eight with a 26-second advantage.

British road race champion Mark Cavendish won the concluding stage, his third stage win in this year's race.

But Wiggins, 33, negotiated the 10-lap 88km course along the Thames to retain his place at the top of the standings.

Following a remarkable 2012 in which he was also knighted and voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year, the Briton has been blighted by fitness problems this year.

He had to pull out of the Giro d'Italiabecause of a chest infection and was unable to defend his Tour de France crownbecause of illness and injury.

Wiggins' victory is a second successive home win in the event after Jonathan Tiernan-Locke, who did not compete this year, won it in 2012.

"I said I wanted to win it. It is pressure for the whole week," said Wiggins, who finished safely in the bunch and now turns his attentions to Wednesday's Road World Championships time-trial in Italy.

"Until you cross the line you just don't know. It's all right to think it's a bit of a ceremony round London, but it certainly isn't.

"You cross the line, you're pumped up. It's relief that you've finished and fulfilled it for your team and your team-mates."

After a near-perfect leadout from Omega Pharma-QuickStep team-mate Alessandro Petacchi, Cavendish sprinted away from Sam Bennett and Elia Viviani in a flat-out dash to the finish at Whitehall and claimed the concluding stage in the Tour of Britain for a third successive year.

"This race is thriving. The amount [of spectators] is something I didn't think we'd see," said the 28-year-old, who now has a record 10 stage victories in the event.

And Simon Yates, the British Under-23 team rider who completed a successful day for the home nation by placing third overall, said: "The crowd was unreal. The noise all the way round was deafening."

Stage eight result:

1. Mark Cavendish (GB) Omega Pharma Quick Step - 1hr 47min 22sec

2. Sam Bennett (Ire) An Post-Chainreaction - same time

3. Elia Viviani (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling - same time

4. Matteo Pelucchi (It) IAM Cycling - same time

5. Chris Opie (GB) Team UK Youth - same time

6. Evaldas Siskevicius (Lit) Sojasun - same time

7. Sacha Modolo (It) Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox - same time

8. Alessandro Petacchi (It) Omega Pharma Quick Step - same time

9. Enrique Sanz (Sp) Movistar Team - same time

10. Blaz Jarc (Slo) Team NetApp-Endura - same time

Final general classification:

1. Bradley Wiggins (GB) Team Sky - 29 hours 45 minutes 22 seconds

2. Martin Elmiger (Swi) - IAM Cycling - at 26 seconds

3. Simon Yates (GB) - Great Britain - at 1 min 3 seconds

4. David Lopez (Sp) - Team Sky - at 1 min 8 seconds

5. Jack Bauer (NZ) - Garmin - at 1 min 13 seconds

6. Sergio Pardilla (Sp) - Team MTN - at 1 min 16 seconds

7. Ian Stannard (GB) - Team Sky - at 1 min 34 seconds

8. Sebastien Reichenbach (Swi) - IAM Cycling - at 1 min 42 seconds

9. Michal Golas (Pol) - Omega Pharma Quick-Step - at 1 min 46 seconds

10. Marcel Wyss (COL) - IAM Cycling - at 1 min 57 seconds

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Cavendish Wins Stage Three

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Mark Cavendish sprinted to victory in an exciting end to the Tour of Britain's fourth stage.

Team Sky's British duo Bradley Wiggins and Ian Stannard remain first and second in the overall standings after finishing in the main bunch.

Cavendish surged past stage one victor Elia Viviani of Cannondale and Steele Von Hoff of Garmin Sharp for the win.

He said: "I am really happy about the super job of the guys in the team, who stayed with me the entire day."

A breakaway group of 11 riders was clear for much of the 190.9km stage from Stoke-on-Trent o Llanberis in the Snowdonia National Park.

With only 1km remaining, however, they were swallowed up by the chasing pack, setting up a thrilling finish.

Cavendish's Omega Pharma-Quickstep team helped work him into a promising position, sitting on the wheel of Alessandro Petacchi for the final leadout, and no-one could catch him once he surged ahead.

"Fortunately we had the entire day with Iljo (Keisse) in the break, so we didn't have to ride behind," added Manxman Cavendish, whose 25 stage wins in the Tour de France is bettered only by Eddy Merckx (34) and Bernard Hinaut (28).

"On the last climb, I have to say I was at the limit, but the guys stayed with me and brought me back. They showed a big commitment.

"That is why I did my best in the sprint. Even Petacchi, who was still suffering from the crash of a couple days ago, wanted to be there. He really led me out in the final. He put me in the best position for the sprint. Now we are looking forward to the next stages."

Wiggins defended his gold jersey with a 37-second advantage over Stannard.

He said: "It always looks easier than it is but it was tough out there. There was a lot of wind and cold weather but the boys did an incredible job.

"They rode all day to keep the gap at about three or four minutes, and then on the final climb, Ian took it up and did a really impressive job. The attacks started coming but I was always riding just a little bit within myself.

"I knew the run-in as well because [Team Sky boss] Sir Dave Brailsford lived in this town and it's another day ticked off because there are no easy days in the Tour of Britain."

Stage five, a 177.1km ride from Machylleth, Powys, to Caerphilly, takes place on Thursday.

Wiggins added: "I recce'd it last week and it's a tough one with two ascents of Caerphilly. Everyone knows it and it's become a bit of a legendary stage now on the Tour of Britain, but my legs are alright.

"It's surprising how much a 15km time trial can take out of you so I'm always glad to get the day after a time trial out of the way and get back on the road bike."

The eight-stage, 1,045.4km race finishes in London on Sunday.

Stage result:

1 Mark Cavendish (GB) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 4hrs 45mins 42secs,

2 Elia Viviani (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling at same time

3 Steele Von Hoff (Aus) Garmin-Sharp at same time

4 Matteo Pelucchi (Ita) IAM Cycling at same time

5 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Movistar Team at same time

General classification:

1 Sir Bradley Wiggins (GB) Sky Procycling 16 hours, 11 minutes, 36 seconds

2 Ian Stannard (GB) Sky Procycling at 37 secs

3 Martin Elmiger (Swi) IAM Cycling at 47 secs

4 Jack Bauer (Nzl) Garmin-Sharp at 55 secs

5 Alex Dowsett (GB) Movistar Team at 57 secs

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Stybar Narrowly Wins Vuelta Stage

Zdenek Stybar beat world champion Philippe Gilbert in a photo finish to win Friday's seventh stage of the Vuelta a Espana with Nicolas Roche remaining in third position overall.

The pair made a late bid for victory on the 206-kilometre route from Almendralejo to Mairena del Aljarafe, attacking with 10km to go.

And Czech rider Stybar (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) was able to hold off the challenge of Gilbert (BMC Racing) by a tyre's width. A charging peloton was led in one second behind by Robert Wagner (Belkin), who was third, while Briton Andy Fenn, a team-mate of Stybar's, was sixth.

Italy's Vincenzo Nibali (Astana), who won May's Giro d'Italia, retained the overall leader's red jersey by three seconds from American Chris Horner(RadioShack) with Ireland's Nicolas Roche (Saxo-Tinkoff) third after his 27th place finish.

Roche also continues to lead the Mountains Classification.

Roche's cousin Dan Martin finished 116th today after suffering a nasty crash late in the stage and slips to 43rd overall.

Saturday's eighth stage is the 167km route from Jerez de la Frontera to a summit finish at Estepona Alto Penas Blancas.

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Matthews Makes Vuelta Mark

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Australia's Michael Matthews sprinted to victory on stage five of the Vuelta a Espana as Vincenzo Nibali retained the race leader's red jersey.

Matthews (Orica-GreenEDGE) jumped on the lead-out train of rival team Argos-Shimano inside the final 1km and then launched a decisive burst for the line with 200m to go.

The 22-year-old came under pressure as a clutch riders fought back at him, but he held on to beat Ariel Richeze (Lampre-Merida) into second and Gianni Meersman (Omega Pharma - Quick-Step) into third.

Nibali (Astana) crossed the line in the main bunch to retain his three-second lead in the general classification over Chris Horner (RadioShack-Leopard).

Matthews said afterwards: "After a few moments, it sunk in what I had really done. A few tears came out after that. This is the biggest win of my career. The team was super impressive today. They did their job perfectly so I could do mine."

Argos fall short

The day took the peloton on a 174.3km route from Sober to Lago de Sanabria in north-western Spain and although it took in two category-three climbs, a flat run to the finish laid the platform for a bunch sprint.

Nicolas Edet (Cofidis), Winner Anacona (Lampre-Merida), Jurgen van de Walle (Lotto-Belisol), Arnaud Courteille (FDJ) and Antonio Piedra (Caja Rural) formed a five-man breakaway and built up a lead of over 10 minutes, but with the second of the climbs coming arriving too far out to deter the sprinters, their plight was always doomed.

Courteille nevertheless attacked on a small, uncategorised rise in the road 10km out and although Van de Walle later joined him, the duo were unable to stay away and were eventually swallowed up with 3.4km remaining.

Omega Pharma - Quick-Step and Orica-GreenEDGE had done the bulk of work in bringing the break back, but Argos-Shimano soon took charge and led the peloton into the final 1km and then around a tight right-hand turn with 600m remaining.

Matthews had by now abandoned his own team's train and moved into Argos-Shimano's slipstream, and he then surged clear to claim the biggest win of his career.

Stage five result

1 Michael Matthews (Aus) Orica-GreenEDGE, 4:28:22 

2 Ariel Richeze (Arg) Lampre-Merida, same time 

3 Gianni Meersman (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step, st 

4 Nikias Arndt (Ger) Argos-Shimano, st 

5 Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin-Sharp, st 

6 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Team Sky, st 

7 Anthony Roux (Fra) FDJ, st 

8 Greg Henderson (NZ) Lotto-Belisol, st 

9 Daniele Ratto (Ita) Cannondale, st 

10 Grega Bole (Slo) Vacansoleil-DCM, st 

Selected others 

21 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar, st 

29 Joaquim Rodriguez (Spa) Katusha, st 

35 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana, st

General classification

1 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana, 18:43:52 

2 Chris Horner (USA) RadioShack-Leopard, +3secs 

3 Nicolas Roche (Irl) Saxo-Tinkoff, +8 

4 Haimar Zubeldia (Spa) RadioShack-Leopard, +16 

5 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar, +21 

6 Robert Kiserlovski (Cro) RadioShack-Leopard, +26 

7 Rigoberto Uran (Col) Team Sky, +28 

8 Daniel Moreno (Spa) Katusha, +31 

9 Rafal Majka (Pol) Saxo-Tinkoff, +38 

10 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Saxo-Tinkoff, +42

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