Meeting Stephen Roche for the first time involves driving up the motorway along the Cote d’Azur, bypassing the well-known places of Sainte-Maxime, St-Raphaël, and Saint-Tropez, before finally reaching Port-Fréjus. This is where the famed cyclist Stephen Roche first made waves in the cycling sphere at the tender age of 21 in 1981. Hailing from the suburb of Dundrum in Dublin, he won the Paris-Nice in his inaugural professional season – a feat no one else has accomplished.
The plan was to rendezvous around 5pm when Roche was due from Grimaud. However, it was about two hours later when I received a frantic phone call from him. “You’re not going to believe this,” he says, filled with panic. Initially, I suspected him of being evasive, but as it happened, one of his two Weimaraner dogs, named Shamrock, had unexpectedly bitten a neighbour. The police had gotten involved, and Shamrock was taken to the vet.
Roche seemed to have a knack for using these types of surprising expressions, such as “believe it or not” and “would you believe”. Apologetic about the delay, he met me at the originally planned location. Even with the collapse of his business and tarnishing of his reputation over the last five years, he remains resilient. It’s been tough; he lost his 20-year-old cycling retreat enterprise in Mallorca, resulting in substantial debts. This cascaded into losing his hillside home in Antibes, his pension, all investments, and many close associates.
Despite being a bit smaller than I had expected, his striking blue eyes stood out against the gentle glow of his Mediterranean tanned face and smart silver-white hair. There’s been a significant change in his athlete physique, understandably since he’s turning 65 the following month. However, one thing age and hardships hadn’t taken away from Roche is his charismatic presence and quirky articulate way of speaking, akin to explaining English to a non-native speaker.
It’s surprising to discover that I recently took a tumble owing to my dogs yanking their leads, which led to me sprawled on the floor with a damaged shoulder ligament. As a result, I haven’t been able to spend as much time on my bicycle as I’d want.
Although I’ve been suffering from a shoulder injury and carrying extra weight, I generally feel alright. The previous years, full of constant moving, had a significant impact on my mental health. However, grumbling about my problems is futile at this point. It’s essential to move on from past troubles and focus on the present.
Emotionally, assembling the fragments was challenging. I see myself first as an athlete, not a businessman. A similar situation arose when I retired from cycling three decades ago, and I had to start anew. To keep progressing, I must revisit my old mindset, he explains, while gesturing towards the ground for emphasis.
This isn’t his first rodeo in trying to reclaim a piece of his respectability, or even his legacy.
It’s easy to realise why Roche chose this divine corner of the earth for his dwelling. From our discussions, it’s quite apparent he’s continuously pursuing tranquillity, mentally and in lifestyle, right here.
Leaving a Mark
While strolling to Brasserie Jacques on Fréjus marina for a bit of lunch, Roche is noticed by half a dozen people. Not always immediately, though, but it’s a fitting reminder that his fame extends beyond being an Irish sports icon. In 1987, Roche etched his name into history by being only the second cyclist to win the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and World Championships within one season. He was a familiar face throughout Europe.
As we get comfortable for the meal, I can sense whispers and see people recognising Roche, thinking, ‘Is that him?’ He then informs me of a significant cycling event happening locally, which perhaps adds to the attention we’re drawing.
The Ascent, by Irish cycling reporter Barry Ryan, is a prominent narrative I’ve brought up as a subject of discussion. This book fascinatingly chronicles the 1980s rivalry and rise to fame of Roche and Sean Kelly while also probing into questions concerning Roche’s association with Professor Francesco Conconi. There are suspicions regarding the doping of Carrera team cyclists with EPO in 1993, a scandal in which Roche was implicated.
Roche denies ever having perused the book, and my tactic to segue into this topic is to recount to him how a friend labelled him a “drug abuser” in response to a message that I was meeting Roche in the South of France.
Dispelling such public perception many years later must be challenging for Roche. “Obviously, it’s tough,” Roche admits. “However, if people were to thoroughly delve into the Conconi case, they wouldn’t see anything implicating. It’s all insinuation and hearsay with no concrete evidence.”
Roche has always vehemently denied allegations of doping in his career but reacts to the subject with a blend of stern insight and pure innocence. “I never paid attention to what others were up to. I followed my own regimen of vitamins and minerals, be it in tablet, powder or injectable form. I never wanted the worry of an unanticipated knock on my door for a positive test result. That’s why I never entertained dialogue about doping because it was a non-issue for me.”
But didn’t the 1987 Tour positive testosterone result of his Carrera teammate, Guido Bontempi, bother him? “Whether he administered it himself or a doctor advised him to, I’m not certain. I was always unconcerned with what other riders were doing.”
The controversy over the Conconi files first emerged towards the end of 1999, a considerable six years after Roche opted for retirement after spending 13 years in the peloton. This was brought to the public’s attention when Italian publication La Repubblica reported that as part of a clampdown on doping, police in Ferrara had stormed into Conconi’s offices. During the raid, records in a computer were located, revealing that former Carrera doctor Giovanni Grazzi and Conconi had provided athletes with EPO treatments in 1993. Evidence suggested that Roche was amongst the athletes treated.
Roche accounts just one meeting with Conconi. When he first joined Carrera in 1986, they were utilising Ferrera’s university for medical tests, which was where he met Conconi for that single instance. He states that he was never a part of their circle because he never cheated. He points out that people will either accept or refute his statement.
Grazzi, who was a student of Conconi, became the official doctor at Carrera in 1987. Periodically, every three to four months he conducted their blood tests, took them to the university, assessed the results and reported back if they were deficient in iron or vitamin B.
Roche vehemently denies the possibility that any substance could have been given to him without his knowledge. He recalls an instance in 1989 when he consulted Dr Müller-Wohlfahrt in Munich for his knee problems. The doctor injected his knee with a number of vials, one of which Roche took for testing. The test revealed contents like extracts of calf liver. On Roche’s next visit, he confronted Dr Müller-Wohlfahrt about his findings. The doctor was taken aback, asserting his four decades-long commitment to ethical practice.
Roche firmly denies ever consuming anything illicit, even unwittingly, from anyone. He insists that he would never accept anything, even a beverage, if he had any suspicions about it. Therefore, he confidently states that the idea of someone having provided him with a substance unbeknownst to him just cannot be.
Roche was first alerted to the existence of the Conconi files when his biographer, David Walsh, rang him up. This call came on New Year’s Eve of 1999, and Walsh revealed to Roche that he had evidence, in the form of these files, suggesting that Roche had used EPO. He also informed Roche that this was going to make the newspapers’ front-page headlines the next day.
Roche describes the spikey headline as being extremely damaging. However, he asserts that a more detailed examination of the files would clearly disclose that the purported results couldn’t possibly be authentic, given the variations in the same day’s values.
Roche was also linked to the name ‘Ronani’ by some, suggesting that he engaged in a programme towards the end of his career, something he strongly denies, especially considering he had nothing at stake.
After much deliberation, the judge finally announced that she was unable to gather the necessary information to comprehensively understand what had transpired, ultimately concluding that all the cyclists mentioned were on a programme.
When this news broke, Roche appeared on The Late Late Show, an episode that ran beyond its regular 20-minute duration, extending to approximately 50 minutes, hosted by Pat Kenny.
He admittedly says that he’s sometimes a bit too forthcoming. He explains that such situations always cast a negative view, regardless of what you do, as people choose to perceive it how they wish. Roche did contemplate taking legal action but requires a hefty sum upfront. Although he could have contested it, he felt not everyone would be privy to the outcome.
Roche found the whole experience extremely detrimental, with the effects still being felt today. He reveals that he never received a single phone call or was asked for his side of the story. Reflecting on this, he believed the matter would eventually fade away, given the absence of any substance. Although hindsight makes it easier to say he should have used that hefty sum to contest it vigorously, he emphasises that he hadn’t done anything incorrect in the first place.
When asked about his stance on doping, the ex-cyclist emphatically stated he had always kept clear from such activities, standing upright and clean. His words may or may not be believed, but to those who might label him a hypocrite, his response was simply, he couldn’t care less.
Mirroring numerous other tales of financial demise, Roche’s narrative is one tangled in complexity and unsettling dread. The unraveling began abruptly in 2018 when Shamrock Events, his business responsible for organising cycling holidays in Mallorca — which had ironically been afloat since 1999 — was declared insolvent.
Early the following year, Roche was dragged before the Spanish courts as owners of two hotels, the Ponent Mar and the Hotel Son Caliu, claimed unsettled debts amounting to €392,446, leading to their demand for forced bankruptcy of his enterprise. Matters took a nosedive in 2022, when Roche was instructed by the court to repay €750,000 on grounds of irresponsible financial management of his Majorca-based establishment, which implicatively financed his personal living.
Despite originally being prohibited from corporate directorship in Spain for the next seven years, Roche managed to reduce the sentence to two years following an appeal, similarly shrinking his debts to less than €400,000. This was a substantial tumble from its past glory, when the firm identified an annual turnover of around €1.8 million.
Roche’s plight arose, in part, from errant ventures – one of which was his aspiration of expanding the business to align with the increasing interest in cycling tours, involving the purchase of a base in Palma. Additionally, he invested €120,000 in a friend’s luxury car company based in Paris and held a 10 per cent stake in a site near Saint-Tropez, formerly worth €6 million.
Unexpectedly, things went pear-shaped. The site never sold due to planning issues and eventually became a garden, causing the potential buyer to back away and result in a financial loss.
An unfortunate robbery occurred at our Paris garage where four cars were nicked, but the insurance fell through as they stated our front door didn’t meet the required safety standards.
When it came to the new location out in Palma that I was hoping to acquire, lack of funds resulted in me forfeiting my €50,000 deposit, leading to a cascade of difficulties. It caused such a panic that I found myself scrambling to rectify the situation. The financial pressure was mounting and I was desperately attempting to plug the gaps, but I just couldn’t make it work.
Sure, I might not fully concur with it, but I have come to terms with my debts amounting to €400,000. I admit, I was fairly ignorant about the unfolding of events. There were people close to me, but the whole picture was not painted clearly. Some of these people should’ve pulled me up and told me, ‘Sort this out, Stephen.’
He added, “Of course, I made mistakes. However, none of these were made out of spite or mean intent. It was more to do with the situation and sheer panic. I trusted some people too much, and they failed to give me the whole picture. This lack of understanding led me to make some poor decisions.”
His biggest regret, he claimed, was not facing his problems head-on. “I should have been faster in responding. I was bombarded with scare tactics, with warnings not to show my face in Spain, or board a plane as Interpol were presumably watching. Looking back, I ought to have simply sat down, faced the issues and asked, ‘how can we rectify this?’. It’s clear now that by avoiding the situation, I only managed to make matters worse.”
Things definitely took a turn for the worse when he lost his Antibes hillside villa, valued over €1 million.
“That was a separate incident but a consequence nonetheless. I held an interest-only mortgage on the property, considering we had an Airbnb business running out of it, my future retirement plan. Nevertheless, when the loan renewal rolled around and news about my Spanish court case broke, the bank plainly told me, ‘Clearly you understand, Stephen, we can’t renew your loan.'”
Stephen Roche had to reduce the price of his property to make a quick sale after Covid-19 took a toll on international buyers. This was coupled with late repayment penalties from banks, leaving him severely distressed. Unfortunately, in addition to financial struggles, Roche also endured personal losses in 2022 when he lost his father and his younger sister. His father, Larry, died following a diagnosis from a hospital visit, while his sister, Carol, passed away due to a colon tumour detected during a routine cancer screening test.
Roche’s personal tragedies, although daunting, have not deterred him from forging ahead. Despite his financial and personal struggles, he has managed to soldier on, viewing these challenges as an opportunity for growth. However, he often questions how he could have missed the warning signs of his crumbling situation.
Roche’s personal journey has not been without its fair share of relationship issues either. He and his wife, Lydia, divorced in 2003, years after their marriage in 1980 and having had four kids together – Nicolas, Christel, Alexis, and Florian. More recently, Roche faced a legal battle with his ex-partner of a decade, Sophie Desobry, a French citizen who accused him of owing her €300,000 for work she contributed to their shared villa in Antibes.
Following my reunion with Csilla Roche-Henschl, a Hungarian national and the wife of my interviewee, I learned they were temporarily residing in a leased property in Grimaud, bordering Sainte-Maxime. Shifting our discussion back to the realm of cycling, I inquired about the whereabouts of his iconic memorabilia from his victorious cycling season of 1987; the pink, yellow and rainbow jerseys.
He expressed a rather somber reality, revealing a large chunk of his accolades remains in Spain, locked away in Palma. A hotel, where he used to work, has seized them and their current whereabouts are unknown. Despite this unfortunate circumstance he doesn’t present himself as a victim, but rather, he relishes the enriching experience he receives from sharing his cycling knowledge, keeping his passion alive.
Reflecting on his past, he acknowledges his slip-ups, owning up to the erroneous decisions he made in his recent history. However, he’s quick to point out that they were his actions alone and he isn’t seeking to undo his past.
Curious about how he plans to handle his financial liabilities, I ask him about his strategies. His reply quirkily includes hoping to hit the jackpot someday, and subsequently travel back to reclaim his lost memorabilia which, as per his conditions, will be possible if his financial demands are met.
He’s currently utilizing his network to assist a developer in planning and in exchange, receiving some compensation. He’s also engaged in a variety of corporate endeavors, along with organizing cycling tours around Nice. The forward plan is to gradually expand this initiative with an addition of three tours next year on the outskirts of Nice. This endeavour is intended to be centred around professional cycling events like Paris-Nice, with added attractions like wine tasting. A revamp of his website is also in the pipeline.
In terms of personal relationships, he’s optimistic about regaining the trust of longtime friends and family members. He admits it’s an uphill task considering his past lifestyle but he’s committed to making amends, hoping for circumstances to gradually normalize. This is particularly important as his past actions have led to his loved ones distancing themselves.
“I hold no grudges or ill feelings towards anyone. Everyone has to face the consequences of their actions. Nicolas, Christel, Alexis, and Florian have formed their own theories about what transpired, yet they are not fully informed. Once things return to normal, I’ll fill them in on my perspective.
However, rectifying certain issues has taken longer than I initially envisaged. I haven’t distanced myself from anyone, nor have I pushed anyone away. If anyone has isolated themselves from me, that’s entirely their decision.
Roche is not the first cyclist to mention ‘depression’ when talking about his post-retirement period at the age of 33. He confesses that the physical emptiness he felt at the time was as challenging to deal with as any monetary concerns.
Initially, I saw bicycling as an opportunity. I wasn’t concerned about the financial aspect. I believed that if I focused more on winning races and less on money, then wealth would naturally follow.
At the age of 16, I was already earning decent money at Premier Dairies and working night shifts. I was able to afford my own car by the age of 18. However, after retiring from cycling, I no longer had a steady income for the first time. This was a tough reality to grapple with, but the complexity increased post-retirement when I found a slew of business cards from people who promised easy employment opportunities.
Despite the challenges, I harbor no regrets about retiring prematurely. The sport was becoming increasingly perilous with newcomers not showing much respect to veterans.
During my final Giro in 1993, I had to second-guess my every move during the descent due to potential hazards. Previously, I had no such qualms and would approach the track fearlessly.
In 1996, I relocated my family to a substantial home on Ballychorus Road in South Co Dublin, Ireland. But after three years of dwindling chances, including for my children, we decided to move back to France.”
Although it was somewhat melancholic, I hold no regrets. I had poured some funds into Ireland and France’s real estate, but I required a steady income. Hence, I delved into cycling holidays, a business that was just beginning to bloom.
What shook me was the inactivity. A certain day in Dublin, after not cycling for ages, I found myself missing something. This made me dust off an old bicycle with flat tyres and peddle it to my friend, Peter Crinnion’s home in Kilmacanoge.
On my way back, going through Shankill, I came across a small shop where I bought a bottle of Lucozade and three to four Mars Bars. As I sat, consuming them, it struck me what I was lacking.
For quite some time, I was barely seen publicly. However, this changed three weeks back when I attended the finish of the World Championships in Zurich. Here, Tadej Pogačar from Slovenia incredibly became only the third male ever to bag the Triple Crown in a single year, following Eddy Merckx (in 1974) and myself (in 1987).
But how did I come to attend?
I actually extended the invite to myself as I reckoned it mattered. Well, it might not be that consequential, but considering it’s been 37 years since such an event occurred, I thought linking myself to it wouldn’t bode badly. As a consequence, I’ve garnered an invitation to the Tour route unveiling in Paris later this month.
Why was I invited?
Their response was, “As a past champion.”
There’s absolutely no contestation to that fact.