Yikes! Former pro cyclist Nicolas Roche said he was violently assaulted during an attempted street robbery in Barcelona. It’s an incident he described as the “biggest fright” he has ever experienced.
The 41-year-old, son of Triple Crown winner Stephen Roche, was targeted by three men as he stepped out of a restaurant in the city centre. The attackers reportedly tried to steal his watch, leaving Roche with facial cuts and bruising.
The incident
Roche shared details of the attack on Instagram, posting an image of his damaged watch and a firsthand account of the incident.
“Just been attacked and beaten up by three men as I walked out of a restaurant in central Barcelona trying to rob my watch,” he began.
Stephen Roche discusses Tadej Pogačar’s chances of winning the Giro, Tour and worlds
Mugging, apparently, has become a big problem in the Spanish city. Many travel bloggers warn visitors about it, and how to avoid it.
“Thanks to my girlfriend Marta and the two security agents from the shop further down the street I managed to not only save my watch but mostly stopped the attackers from beating me more,” he continued.
Planned attack?
“It’s crazy to think that someone in the restaurant must have warned the gang to wait outside for me. I had read about all of this in the news but it’s something else to experience. Biggest fright of my life.
Roche said that he was shocked because for over five minutes people stood there watching as he was on the ground as his girlfriend was shouting for help. Eventually the two security guards came out to scare the thieves away, he said.
In a follow-up post to his Instagram followers, Roche showed the injuries weren’t too bad..and he knew they could have been far worse.
“Thankfully ‘only’ a few cuts on my face and a bruise on my elbow,” he said. “Marta got hit behind the head trying to protect my head on the ground. Still finding it hard to believe what happened. Be careful everyone going out.”
Roche raced for 17 years, on teams including Cofidis, Sky and Crédit Agricole. Although his palmarès wasn’t quite as deep as his father’s, he still had some big results, including two stages of the Vuelta a España, podiums in Tour stages, multiple national championships and four trips to the Olympic Games.
You’ve probably also heard him commentate, giving expert analysis on FloBikes.com. Furthermore, he’s been involved in the managerial side of Trinity Racing–the new home for Rafaelle Carrier. And, just like his father–he’s a world champion, albeit in his age category in gravel. Roche continues to compete in gravel since retiring.
