Giro d’Italia comes to town

The opening ceremony of the Giro d’Italia took place in Belfast yesterday evening and saw each of the 22 cycle teams introduced on stage. The event gets under way today with a time trial. Today’s starting point is one of three stage routes taking place across the Causeway Coast and Armagh and will finish in Dublin.

The famous cycling event which is aired in 165 countries will bring much needed positive publicity to Northern Ireland and of course boost the tourist trade. Although the Tour de France is generally classed as a bigger event the Italian’s are very proud of their contribution to cycling and there is always just as much hype about this event.

Although the cyclists taking part are well used to all sorts of terrains and conditions they will no doubt find the rough winds along the Antrim coast difficult to withstand. Speedy Reg, who hail from County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland would like to wish all the cyclists taking part as well as the organisers every success over the next few days.