Dancing With The Stars cycling champ Nicolas Roche believes our city streets should be safer for bikes, saying: “You’re risking your life when you cycle in the capital.”
The four-time Olympian – and new sporting director of Cycling Ireland – is getting around Dublin by bike while he’s here competing as a celebrity in the RTE dance show.
The son of one of Ireland’s greatest sports stars, Stephen Roche, is based in Monaco, but has been staying with his grandparents in Dundrum, Dublin during the contest.
Nicolas, 37, told the Irish Mirror: “I’ve been cycling in and out. We take all the Covid tests for the show in the city centre, and I’d rather cycle in than take the car.
“It’s very difficult. It needs improvement. The roads are very narrow in Dublin, and some of them are very dangerous. It’s very hard to overtake someone and when you do, you’re risking your life.”
Nicolas says the increase in bike lanes in recent years has helped improve things for cyclists in the city.
He added: “To give a bit of encouragement, I think the bike lanes in Ireland have improved immensely over the past couple of years.”
Space is a problem, with the roads overcrowded with bikes, says Nicolas: “So much more people are cycling – Deliveroo, couriers and everyone going to work.
“Now with the city bikes, the population of cyclists in Dublin has expanded so greatly.
“There’s no more space for bike lanes – it’s almost safer to share the bike lanes with the bus lanes.”
Nicolas will be fully involved in Irish cycling in his new role, overseeing the preparation and management of athletes in world races.
Nicolas – whose 17-year career representing Ireland in cycling came to an end with his retirement last year – said he has found a new passion in TV presenting.
The dad-of-one admits he was feeling a bit too old for the pro races, adding: “In August, people were calling me ‘too old’ and I wasn’t getting good contracts.
“The average on my team was 23, so I was the oldest one. That was the reality.”
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