Even though preparation period preceding the new season didn’t go strictly as it was planned due to an unexpected knee injury, which Nicolas Roche picked up at the Tinkoff-Saxo team camp held in November, the Irishman has resumed trainings and believes that his targets for 2014 are still possible to reach.

Questioned during the Tinkoff-Saxo training camp currently taking place in Gran Canaria, Roche seemed to be relaxed and confident about his ability to make up for the time lost due to the knee injury to hit the top disposition before the Giro d’Italia.

The 29-year old Irishman admits, however, that he still remains slightly behind his team-mates in terms of preparation, as he just recently returned to training with en explicit recommendation to take it slow and build things up gradually. Thus, Tinkoff-Saxo rider expects himself to suffer in races opening the new season.

“The knee is slowly but surely getting there,” he stated Tuesday, updating the situation. “I tore the insertion of the quadriceps where it links to the kneecap back in November. It was a beach activity but I’ve just resumed training, albeit I’m taking it slowly,” Roche told Velonation.com

Even though Roche hasn’t ridden the Giro d’Italia since his debut in 2007, this year he would follow an entirely different racing schedule as the Italian Grand Tour begins on his home ground, in Northern Ireland.

“It’s a new challenge for me because I’ve never gone for form so early in the year,” said Roche, talking about the challenge that will present. “The last five or six years I’ve either gone for the Tour or the Vuelta, so I’ve always taken an easier or less-in-form beginning to the year. That’s quite exciting.”

Considering those circumstances, as well as his career breakthrough performance during Vuelta a Espana last edition when Roche finally grown up to lead a team in the Grand Tour race, Giro d’Italia certainly will be a main highlight of 2014 season for the Irishman.

Roche believes, that carried by the crowd of his fellow countryman, he still can be competitive enough to fight for an overall victory at the Italian Grand Tour, to give up on his personal ambitions and ride in the supporting role of Alberto Contador at the Tour the France in July.

“Ireland’s experienced a great boom over the last four or five years and the sport’s attracting new riders all the time. I’m sure I’ll receive a great atmosphere at Belfast, all the way down to Dublin. Every year the number of Irish beside the road at the Tour de France is incredible and on the increase. So I’m really looking forward to being there.”