Nicolas Roche BLASTS John Gadret At Tour De France

PAU, France — After a fist fight between two riders following the sixth stage and the fury of Andy Schleck toward Alberto Contador, now even riders on the same team can't get along at the Tour de France.

Nicolas Roche, leader of AG2R La Mondiale, blasted teammate John Gadret on his website, saying "I had great difficulty in not putting his head through the nearest window" after Gadret supposedly refused to help him fix a puncture on Monday.

Roche said that "if John Gadret is found dead in his hotel room in the morning, I will probably be the primary suspect."

Roche was sitting in 14th place overall when he suffered a puncture on the way up the climb of Port de Bales. He asked his French colleague to give him a wheel, but said Gadret refused and cycled away.

Comments

[furby3]

01:51 AM on 07/23/2010

Anybody here ever heard of Ryder Hesjedal? Not likely, he's Canadian. First time I get to cheer for a Canadian watching the TDF. Refreshing.

[Karen Robertson]

01:53 AM on 07/23/2010

isn't that awesome??? go ryder!!

[furby3]

01:54 AM on 07/23/2010

I'm on the West Coast so I have to get up at 5:30AM to catch the race. Worth every minute of lost sleep. That man's a class act.

[roshni]

10:06 PM on 07/23/2010

I'll bet he would have helped his teammate. All the Canadians I've met so far have been super nice.

[furby3]

06:16 AM on 07/24/2010

You're right. He used to be a "domestique" on his team before moving up the ranks and becoming the main guy, and I don't know if we Canadians are all as nice as Ryder is, he's a pretty humble, unassuming fellow. But good on him for making us look good

[freelancerighter]

01:45 AM on 07/23/2010

For those of us that have to watch the evening broadcast of the Tour de France, I find the excessive commercials excruciatingly irritating. I wonder what the breakdown of the percentage of ad versus actual film of the race is...

[Karen Robertson]

05:28 PM on 07/22/2010

without being a spoiler to anyone who has not yet seen today's stage, let me say that andy schleck and alberto contador both demonstrated that professional cycling is here to show the world what good sportsmanship is about. tremendous ride. inspiring post-finish champion like behavior by both men.

i cannt wait to watch it 3 more times today!! iieeeeeeeeee!

[KCM7]

07:47 PM on 07/22/2010

Tomorrow will be good. Andy will have to have the time trial of his life.

[hopefull2008]

11:49 PM on 07/22/2010

I can't remember a better TDF stage. Just brilliant.

[Manwhatthe]

01:40 PM on 07/22/2010

Just saying.
I mean you know just saying.
But,

French athletes seem to be pretty crabby lately.

World Cup and now this.

[hopefull2008]

11:56 PM on 07/22/2010

They do tend to compensate with their cooking, love making and their outrageous French accents.

[Karen Robertson]

12:52 AM on 07/23/2010

lol!

[Puller58]

11:57 AM on 07/22/2010

Ah, the spirit of goodsportsmanship. Not.

[Karen Robertson]

05:30 PM on 07/22/2010

watch today's stage....amazing finish. should be in the dictionary under 'sportsmanship'.

i love july!

[hopefull2008]

01:20 AM on 07/23/2010

Isn't that a fact .. with all the controversy over the chain .. to see that level of sportsmanship .. fantastic !

[whyus]

11:14 AM on 07/22/2010

Oooh la la, la tour de france seems to be falling apart. Banging heads, fist fights, drug charges, etc.; one wonders if this has always been true only now it's just being reported more.

[serialcoma]

11:18 AM on 07/22/2010

The TdF is more popular than ever.... conflict and controversy always gets the most space in the media.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

10:33 AM on 07/22/2010

Team leader or not, "give me the wheel off of your bike" is an unreasonable demand.

The other rider may be a support rider to the leader, but puleeze.

[serialcoma]

11:19 AM on 07/22/2010

Happens all the time.. it's one of many things support riders are paid to do....

[fatback65]

12:44 PM on 07/22/2010

That's why they are supporting riders. In this case, not so supporting.

[Karen Robertson]

12:54 PM on 07/22/2010

you dont understand the role of a domestique rider.

[hidesert47]

11:24 PM on 07/21/2010

Please ... can Craig Hummer go away?

[cookerman45]

09:42 PM on 07/21/2010

cycling needs more men.

[Karen Robertson]

09:53 PM on 07/21/2010

actually, it needs more women

[cookerman45]

09:56 PM on 07/21/2010

you got me .....

[Usama]

11:05 AM on 07/22/2010

In what capacity? And will women's sports open up to let in men? Not all men can compete with top level men but would love to compete in women's leagues.

[serialcoma]

11:19 AM on 07/22/2010

You obviously don't follow cycling.

[cookerman45]

08:19 PM on 07/22/2010

you obviously are in a coma.

[cookerman45]

09:39 PM on 07/21/2010

ride the bike and shutup.

[mikefina]

08:52 PM on 07/21/2010

Liggett and Sherwin do an exceptional job covering this event. 4 hours a day, and I don't get tired of their voices.

Less is more. Local flavor and a whiff of history beats schtick. Chris Berman--I'm talking to YOU.

[Karen Robertson]

08:58 PM on 07/21/2010

Liggett is exceptional, a true gentleman of sport. but i have to admit, im hot for bob roll

[mikefina]

09:23 PM on 07/21/2010

Yeah, Bobke is pretty funny. I like the whole team--except for Frankie Andreus's post-race interviews--though I don't fault HIM--the racers are so 'gassed' they can't string two coherent thoughts together, nevermind sentences after a 5-hour ride.

[serialcoma]

11:20 AM on 07/22/2010

I have much more respect for Roll since he criticized Contador for his lack of civility when Schleck dropped his chain....

[cookerman45]

09:40 PM on 07/21/2010

berman is a nightmare you would think he'd grow up .....alas no, same old rant after rant.

[Twenty Row Kid]

08:40 PM on 07/21/2010

What would sports be without whining?

[Pansey]

07:34 PM on 07/21/2010

Boys will be boys.......

[KCM7]

07:26 PM on 07/21/2010

World Cup hangover. The Irish and French find something new to disagree about.

[furby3]

01:59 AM on 07/22/2010

So Contador is Irish and Schleck is French? Well I'll be darned.

[KCM7]

01:01 PM on 07/22/2010

Nicolas Roche - Irish
John Gadret - French

[KCM7]

01:06 PM on 07/22/2010

I think this is the first sporting event where I am rooting for Luxembourg to win. Strange.

[Henny Bogan]

12:19 PM on 07/22/2010

I bet Luke Kelly could be@t up Michael Collins in a fight any day :)

[KCM7]

01:04 PM on 07/22/2010

Ha...doubt it.
But he would definately win at karaoke.

[EvitaLuisa]

06:48 PM on 07/21/2010

I just LUVS this drama -- Oh so French; since I have more German(ic) heritage, I thrive on the Frenchie (or made on Frenchie territory, as in Le Tour; or involved-with-French/France=Frenchie) episodes and shenanigans. Makes my hour, day, year!!! Yeahhawwwww! I just luvs 'em b/c they give us such freaking great drama and INsanity, though I truly hold the French culture for the most in the highest regard ( --- minus cases like Rapolanski, etc etc).
Having said that, this stuff is serious and I'm 100% with Roche. If they were to have to try Roche in the court of public opinion, should the lil man with no soul show (wee one with the eeny weenie, Gadret) up "ded" :), then I just might be considered a suspect as well.
That's how outrageous this "sportsman's" conduct was. Hope it tags him to the end of his days.

And, Hey, and what a way to show the young fans what this sport "is all about". nuff said!