Despite turning 37 next year, Nicholas Roche has no intention of ending his career. The versatile Irishman will enter the final year of his contract with Team DSM in 2021, but he is eager to continue racing until he is 40.

This year, Roche raced as road captain for Sunweb and competed in several sections of the Tour de France.

Roche believes that his long career of riding as a leader, domestique, and lead-out rider has given him the experience he needs to help Sunweb's younger riders, and he relishes his role as road captain for a team that has enjoyed its best season in years.

"Experience, that's key. I think one of the reasons I'm so well suited for the role is because I've done it," he told Cycling News in a recent interview.

"You know what's expected of you. Training sprinters is different than training GC riders. Sprinters and GC riders don't like to change their rhythm, so you have to do it gradually over time."

"So even with those little things, I understand how they work because I've been in that situation before, like when I led Tor Hushovd for a few years in the 2007 and 2008 Giro. Then I became a team leader myself and started working under bigger team leaders, not only in GC but also in the classics. I'm trying to figure out how I can give back everything I've learned."

Despite the underpopulated 2020 race calendar, Roche logged 34 race days. His foundation for the season was the Tour de France, and although his year was cut short by illness, the former Team Sky and Tinkoff rider was happy with his year.

"I'm very happy with my role, riding aggressively, reaching out to the young guys, helping them in the sprints, doing a little bit of everything. It was very challenging and exciting. It went very well."

"I was supposed to compete in the Vuelta, but unfortunately after the Tour I started to feel some pain in my forearms and after my crash in the Tour I started to develop tendonitis in my wrists and forearms. Relatively speaking, it was a good season and a great season for the team. I had a really good season as road captain and I think I did well in that role. The young players got the results they wanted, and I'm very proud of them.

Sunweb signed Romain Bardet to a contract for 2021, but the German-registered team, which will race as Team DSM next season after securing new sponsorship, continues to rely on its young riders. Marc Hirschke and Jai Hindley had outstanding seasons, and Roche has adapted his racing style but still considers himself an important player on the roster.

"Another page has been turned in my career. From a helper to a leader, to a GC helper, and now I'm with the young players. I'm helping them with my knowledge, but I'm also learning things on the bike that I wouldn't learn in the meeting room. It's important for me to help the young riders with the finer details, like tactics on how to position themselves and how to finish."

"It's very exciting. It can be a bit difficult for the egos when they are out of the spotlight and not attacking without thinking, but there are still opportunities. I've been in the breakaway group three times in this year's Tour. I think this team needs a breakaway position and I'm happy to be able to fill that position and do my part."

In 2021, the race calendar will return to a more traditional one, and Roche looks to be in line for another Tour de France selection.

The Irish FW still has no intention of slowing down and wants to extend his career beyond his current contract.

"I still want to keep going. My ultimate goal is to be 40, I said when I was 30 that I wanted to do a couple more years, it's getting harder and harder with COVID, team restrictions, less riders on the team, but I'm willing to train, stay in shape, and keep going as long as I can. Ideally, I'd like to make it to the end of 2021, and then two more years, plus a fourth year after that would be a bonus."