Roche remains leader of Ag2r despite spat with Gadret
Ireland's Nicolas Roche remains team Ag2r La Mondiale's Tour de France leader despite internal rivalries.
"The team is working for Nicolas," said team sports director, Vincent Lavenu. "It has been that way from the start of the Tour de France in Rotterdam: Nicolas is the leader and then below him are Christophe Riblon and John Gadret."
Yesterday, Roche criticised his French team-mate Gadret, who refused help him when he punctured his tyre.
"I asked Gadret - who was there to help me - for his wheel. I couldn't believe what happened next," wrote Roche on his diary in the Irish Independent. "He just shook his head and said 'Non'. At first I thought he was joking, but soon realised he wasn't when he kept riding past me."
Lavenu, said Roche, was yelling for Gadret to wait, but he never did and instead rode ahead while Roche lost nearly four and a half minutes and slipped from 14th to 17th overall.
"I got the whole team together last night and we talked about it," said Lavenu.
"There are big problems at the Tour de France, but yesterday's was a small one."
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Roche said in his diary, "I had great difficulty in not putting his [Gadret's] head through the nearest window," but said today that the two have settled the issue.
"He said he was defending his position on the GC and that he was thinking of the team classification," said Roche. "You can argue yes or no, was it going to save me a place had he stayed with me?"
Roche sits 18th overall after today's mountain stage. He struggled at the beginning, but thanked Riblon and Martin Elmiger for helping him. And Gadret?
"I am not going to go for a pint with him yet."
Tour de France 2010: Latest news
Armstrong has his last go in the Tour
Tour's points leader Petacchi investigated for doping
Contador issues video apology to Schleck
Millar searches horizon for Eiffel Tower
Schleck-Contador friendship turns sour after chain problem
Wiggins at 2010 Tour: "I haven't got it"
Basso wins Tour's acceptance; podium spot next goal
Contador versus Schleck: A game of seconds
Can Cav win without Renshaw?
Hesjedal pushing his way to the Tour's top
Renshaw disqualification overshadows Cavendish's win
Charly Wegelius pulls out of Tour
Did Armstrong own a stake in Tailwind Sports, or not?
Cavendish in a 'must win' situation for Tour's green jersey
Millar rides through pain barrier to make time cut
Roche alongside Tour's top men ahead of Pyrenees
Wiggins to aim for Tour de France stage win?
Dan Lloyd battles on in Tour despite groin strain
Tour de France 2010: Stage reports
Stage 16: Fedrigo takes tough Pyrenean stage
Stage 15: Victorious Voeckler continues fine Franch Tour as Contador takes yellow jersey
Stage 14: Riblon hangs on in Pyrenees to give France fourth stage win
Stage 13: Vino returns to top of Tour after doping ban
Stage 12: Rodriguez wins as Contador attacks
Stage 11: Cavendish bags third stage win but lead out man kicked out of Tour
Stage 10: Cavendish bags third stage win but his lead-out man is kicked out of race
Stage 10: Paulinho claims narrow stage victory on Bastille day
Stage nine: Casar wins stage as Schleck and Contador go head-to-head
Stage seven: Chavanel wins stage and takes overall as Thomas drops out of Tour's white
Stage six: Cavendish makes it two as Tour hots up
Stage five: Cavendish wins his first stage of Tour
Stage four: Petacchi wins into Reims
Stage three: Hushovd takes dramatic win; Thomas second on stage and GC
Stage three live coverage: As it happened
Stage two: Comeback man Chavanel takes victory in Spa
Stage one: Petacchi wins in Brussels as bunch left in tatters
Prologue: Cancellara pips Martin to win
Tour de France 2010: Photos
Stage 15 photo gallery
Stage 14 photo gallery
Stage 13 photo gallery
Stage 12 photo gallery
Stage 11 photo gallery
Stage 10 photo gallery
Stage nine photo gallery
Stage eight photo gallery
Tour 2010 wallpaper
Stage seven photo gallery
Stage six photo gallery
Stage five photo gallery
Stage four photo gallery
Stage three photo gallery
Stage two photo gallery
Stage one gallery
Prologue photo gallery
Tour de France 2010: Videos
Stage 16 video highlights
Stage 15 video highlights
Stage 14 video highlights
Stage 13 video highlights
Stage 12 video highlights
Stage 11 video highlights
Stage 10 video highlights
Stage nine video highlights
Stage eight video highlights
Stage seven video highlights
Stage six video highlights
Stage five video highlights
Stage four video highlights
Stage three video highlights
Stage two video highlights
Stage one video highlights
Prologue video highlights
Tour de France 2010: Race guide
Tour de France 2010: Cycling Weekly's coverage index
Official start list, with race numbers
Brits at the Tour 2010
Tout team guide
Tour jerseys: What they are and what they mean
Brits in the Tours: From Robinson to Wiggins
Tour de France 2010: Pictures
Tour team presentation, Rotterdam
Tour teams take to the cobbles: Photo special
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