In a recent interview with Sticky Bottle, Stephen Roche has described his son Nicolas’ move to Team Sky from Tinkoff-Saxo as a “great opportunity”.

“They had a team meeting last month in London and now they’re all back together training, the serious stuff starts now,” said Roche Snr.

“Nicolas is very excited and so he should be. It’s a great opportunity for him riding with Team Sky.”

Despite not always having leadership at Tinkoff-Saxo, he enjoyed a successful two years at the team, winning a stage and wearing the Red Jersey at the 2013 Vuelta a Espana, and he also won his first stage race GC this year, the Route du Sud.

“He’s still on a learning curve and there are still things he has to learn so I think with Sky he’ll have less pressure and be away from the limelight a bit and that will help him get the performances out,” he added.

But with the signing of Peter Sagan to go with the already big names at the team fighting for leadership, such as Rafal Majka and Alberto Contador, Roche didn’t believe he would get enough of a chance to lead and chose to move on.

“He had a great time with Saxo and did really well, he got on really well there with the team and the staff but the problem was they took on (Peter) Sagan.”

“Nicolas would have been content with (working for Alberto) Contador for the big Tours, supporting him.”

“Sagan goes for the stages now and (Rafael) Majka goes for the other mountains so where does he fit in?”

Stephen thinks his son would do well riding the Tour-Vuelta double, and hopes that his son can have a good crack at the Ardennes Classics in the Spring too.

“At the moment they’re just building his programme but I think it will be the Tour and the Vuelta, I think that’s the best programme for him,” he said.

“I’d like to see him riding the Classics too, the likes of Liege and Fleche-Wallone. I think he definitely has a classic in him.”

Roche Snr admitted that his son is still looking for where he belongs in the peloton, whether its Classics, Grand Tours or stage races.

“Is it stage races or the Classics where I think he can continue to improve? Maybe a 10-day stage race for the overall is good for him and then the big Tours for a high overall placing and help the team leader.”

Roche Snr, who has figured in liege-Bastogne-Liege’s finale when he was racing, hopes his son can win that race, just like his cousin Daniel Martin did in 2013.

“In Spain he rides well every year. He has the endurance and he had that when he was fifth overall in the Vuelta (in 2013) but to win a Liege would be better at this time of his career.”