Nicolas Roche breaks Sean Kelly’s record for most Grand Tours completed by an Irish rider

By finishing the Tour de France today, Nicolas Roche (BMC Racing Team) has beaten the long-standing record set by Sean Kelly of the most Grand Tours completed by an Irish rider.

Roche has completed seventeen Grand Tours in total, having finished the Giro d’Italia three times, the Tour de France eight times and the Vuelta a Espana six times. What is more remarkable though is that the 33 year-old has never withdrawn from a Grand Tour.

Roche’s highest ever Grand Tour finish was fifth in the 2013 Vuelta a Espana and he has also taken two stage victories in the Spanish race – in 2013 and 2015. Since his first three week race – the 2007 Giro d’Italia where he finished in 123rd position – Roche has been incredibly consistent, having never finished lower than 40th place on GC.

Kelly’s record of Grand Tour finishes consists of four Vuelta a Espana finishes and twelve Tours de France, although he did have a number of withdrawals during his career.

Nicolas’ father Stephen completed twelve Grand Tours in total, consisting of one Vuelta, eight Tours de France and three Giri d’Italia.

As impressive as Roche’s number of finishes is, he’s still a long way off the overall record holder. The Spanish rider Eduardo Chozas, finished 27 (consisting of 6 Tours, 7 Giros and 14 Vueltas). The only Grand Tour he could not finish was the 1984 Vuelta a España when he retired on the last stage.

Another remarkable performance from a rider finishing the 2017 Tour de France is by Australian Adam Hansen who has now completed 18 consecutive Grand Tours. Hansen broke Bernardo Ruiz’s 57-year-old record for consecutive grand tours completed back at the 2015 Vuelta a España, which was his thirteenth grand tour in a row.