Giro 2014 set to start in Ireland

hommelbier
hommelbier Posts: 1,556
edited May 2013 in Pro race
Looks like another grand tour start for the British Isles in 2014 with the Giro set to start in Belfast.

http://www.lequipe.fr/Cyclisme-sur-route/Actualites/Le-depart-a-belfast-en-2014/341594

Comments

  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    Plenty of experience at laying on a parade to get things started
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    RCS had better research their flag protocol or they'll never make it to Italy.

    I don't fancy Euskaltel's chances either.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    Craics aside*, this is actually fairly amazing. 2 GTs starting in our (sometimes) fair islands next year. If 'Equipe's got its info right.

    *see what I did there?
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,434
    Yeeeooooooooooooooowwwwwww!
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,434
    RichN95 wrote:
    I don't fancy Euskaltel's chances either.


    Hmmmm.

    "So they're Basque separatists but they wear orange."

    "Should we throw stones at them or not?"

    "I dunno"

    "Let's stone them just to be sure"

    "Dead on!"
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • LangerDan
    LangerDan Posts: 6,132
    Would it appropriate to point out at this stage that there is a McQuaid behind this? :wink:
    'This week I 'ave been mostly been climbing like Basso - Shirley Basso.'
  • lemon63
    lemon63 Posts: 253
    Pathetic !!
    Tour of Italy should be in Italy
    Tour of France should be in France

    Surely Belfast & Yorkshire should be putting their millions into the TOI & TOB respectively, that kind of cash would help 'our' own events grow & grow in their own right as major tours. Both the Giro & Le Tour are both awesome events, going abroad just loses them a bit of respectability IMO.
  • MrTapir
    MrTapir Posts: 1,206
    lemon63 wrote:
    Pathetic !!
    Tour of Italy should be in Italy
    Tour of France should be in France

    Surely Belfast & Yorkshire should be putting their millions into the TOI & TOB respectively, that kind of cash would help 'our' own events grow & grow in their own right as major tours. Both the Giro & Le Tour are both awesome events, going abroad just loses them a bit of respectability IMO.

    I'm sure they've done the sums though (Belfast and Yorkshire i mean), and its fairly likely that massive events like that will help our own smaller events, TOB, Tour Series etc.
  • Garry H
    Garry H Posts: 6,639
    lemon63 wrote:
    Pathetic !!
    Tour of Italy should be in Italy
    Tour of France should be in France

    Surely Belfast & Yorkshire should be putting their millions into the TOI & TOB respectively, that kind of cash would help 'our' own events grow & grow in their own right as major tours. Both the Giro & Le Tour are both awesome events, going abroad just loses them a bit of respectability IMO.

    I think you've misunderstood why these places want to host the starts. It's not to promote cycling, it's to promote themselves. They can pour millions into ToI or ToB, but neither are going to get anywhere near the viewing figures and coverage of the Giro and Tour.
  • Gazzetta67
    Gazzetta67 Posts: 1,890
    A stage between Belfast & Dublin ? I wonder what flag they will use to wave them off. no doubt the bigots on the streets will be "Protesting" as they have nothing else to do all day except pick up their benefit money.
  • Garry H
    Garry H Posts: 6,639
    Gazzetta67 wrote:
    A stage between Belfast & Dublin ? I wonder what flag they will use to wave them off. no doubt the bigots on the streets will be "Protesting" as they have nothing else to do all day except pick up their benefit money.

    If it starts in Belfast, then i would guess the union flag, or maybe an Ulster one for compromise. I'd guarantee that it wouldn't be the tri-colour, for the very obvious reason...
  • RoadPainter
    RoadPainter Posts: 375
    Garry H wrote:
    Gazzetta67 wrote:
    A stage between Belfast & Dublin ? I wonder what flag they will use to wave them off. no doubt the bigots on the streets will be "Protesting" as they have nothing else to do all day except pick up their benefit money.

    If it starts in Belfast, then i would guess the union flag, or maybe an Ulster one for compromise. I'd guarantee that it wouldn't be the tri-colour, for the very obvious reason...
    That depends which day of the week these days!
  • LangerDan
    LangerDan Posts: 6,132
    Garry H wrote:
    Gazzetta67 wrote:
    A stage between Belfast & Dublin ? I wonder what flag they will use to wave them off. no doubt the bigots on the streets will be "Protesting" as they have nothing else to do all day except pick up their benefit money.

    If it starts in Belfast, then i would guess the union flag, or maybe an Ulster one for compromise. I'd guarantee that it wouldn't be the tri-colour, for the very obvious reason...

    Although its the Giro, even Italian flags are likely to upset someone:

    In May 2012, after seeing the Italian flag being flown as part of a cultural event held in Donaghmore's St Patrick's Primary School and mistaking it for the Irish Tricolour,(Willie) Frazer accused the school for 4-11 year old children of being "the junior headquarters of SF/IRA youth"
    'This week I 'ave been mostly been climbing like Basso - Shirley Basso.'
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    If Acquarone thinks he's in for a tranquilo time in the run up, he'd better think again
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,434
    It'll be grand.

    Sure London was on fire the summer before the Olympics....
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    TailWindHome wrote:
    It'll be grand.

    Sure London was on fire the summer before the Olympics....


    Fair point. Hit acknowledged.
  • lemon63
    lemon63 Posts: 253
    Garry H wrote:
    lemon63 wrote:
    Pathetic !!
    Tour of Italy should be in Italy
    Tour of France should be in France

    Surely Belfast & Yorkshire should be putting their millions into the TOI & TOB respectively, that kind of cash would help 'our' own events grow & grow in their own right as major tours. Both the Giro & Le Tour are both awesome events, going abroad just loses them a bit of respectability IMO.

    I think you've misunderstood why these places want to host the starts. It's not to promote cycling, it's to promote themselves. They can pour millions into ToI or ToB, but neither are going to get anywhere near the viewing figures and coverage of the Giro and Tour.

    I understand that, I just think it's wrong that they sell the opening stages of one of their main sporting events overseas, in the same way that I and (I imagine) most UK cyclists wouldn't like to see the ToB start somewhere on the continent.
  • RoadPainter
    RoadPainter Posts: 375
    lemon63 wrote:
    Garry H wrote:
    lemon63 wrote:
    Pathetic !!
    Tour of Italy should be in Italy
    Tour of France should be in France

    Surely Belfast & Yorkshire should be putting their millions into the TOI & TOB respectively, that kind of cash would help 'our' own events grow & grow in their own right as major tours. Both the Giro & Le Tour are both awesome events, going abroad just loses them a bit of respectability IMO.

    I think you've misunderstood why these places want to host the starts. It's not to promote cycling, it's to promote themselves. They can pour millions into ToI or ToB, but neither are going to get anywhere near the viewing figures and coverage of the Giro and Tour.

    I understand that, I just think it's wrong that they sell the opening stages of one of their main sporting events overseas, in the same way that I and (I imagine) most UK cyclists wouldn't like to see the ToB start somewhere on the continent.
    Several reasons I wouldn't have a problem with ToB starting overseas, if it was a GT:
    It would raise profile of Britain and the race.
    It would increase TV revenues, bringing more money into the sport in this country
    It would give valuable exposure in other countries to race sponsors (that would mainly be domestic)
    If we were lucky enough to have a GT, why not share out 3 days every 2 years?
    Trips to other countries for committed fans
    Tradition of this happening for GTs
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,434
    Out of interest, why not more interest in this thread?

    No interest in the Giro v the Tour?
    No interest in travelling to Ireland?
    Put off by the present unrest?
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • salsiccia1
    salsiccia1 Posts: 3,725
    Is it official that it's actually happening?
    It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.
  • durhamwasp
    durhamwasp Posts: 1,247
    TailWindHome wrote:
    Out of interest, why not more interest in this thread?

    No interest in the Giro v the Tour?
    No interest in travelling to Ireland?
    Put off by the present unrest?
    not official?
    http://www.snookcycling.wordpress.com - Reports on Cingles du Mont Ventoux, Alpe D'Huez, Galibier, Izoard, Tourmalet, Paris-Roubaix Sportive & Tour of Flanders Sportive, Amstel Gold Xperience, Vosges, C2C, WOTR routes....
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,434
    Precise stage details will be confirmed at a later point, but the start and finish of day one will take place in the region’s capital, beginning at Titanic Quarter and finishing at Belfast City Hall.

    Day two will also run from Belfast to Belfast, starting and finishing at those same venues. Day three on Monday May 12h will begin at The Mall in Armagh and cross the border en route to a finish in Dublin City Centre.

    Read more: http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/13988 ... z2LX5EJxYp
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • graeme_s-2
    graeme_s-2 Posts: 3,382
    I reckon I'll probably go over for the weekend. My wife's from Bangor (in-laws still live there), and Belfast's awesome. Looking forwards to some stunning helicopter shots of the Antrim Coast Road.

    Black%20Arch.JPG
  • pomtarr
    pomtarr Posts: 318
    I'll go. No reason not to go and see every single GT stage in the UK+NI next year. I can't see it happening again for a very long time (unless the Vuelta...... nah, surely not).
    "Difficult, difficult, lemon difficult"
  • supermurph09
    supermurph09 Posts: 2,471
    Do we have any details for the stages in Ireland. Birthday is on the 9th May so I think I've just decided what the Mrs will be buying me!!
    Trainer Road Blog: https://hitthesweetspot.home.blog/

    Cycling blog: https://harderfasterlonger.wordpress.com/

    Blog: https://supermurphtt2015.wordpress.com/

    TCTP: https://supermurph.wordpress.com/
  • thomasmc
    thomasmc Posts: 814
    Supermurph09 wrote:
    Do we have any details for the stages in Ireland. Birthday is on the 9th May so I think I've just decided what the Mrs will be buying me!!

    Not much detail yet but first two days starting & finishing in Belfast with third day a spin from Armagh to Dublin. Cant wait!

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2013/fe ... agh-dublin
  • LiamW
    LiamW Posts: 358
    http://www.stickybottle.com/latest-news ... ig-winner/


    That's all that's been released so far. 2 stages start and finish in Belfast, the 3rd goes from Armagh to Dublin.

    Very nice indeed.
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,434
    Typically when is the route announced?
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • RoadPainter
    RoadPainter Posts: 375
    pomtarr wrote:
    I'll go. No reason not to go and see every single GT stage in the UK+NI next year. I can't see it happening again for a very long time (unless the Vuelta...... nah, surely not).
    Potential WC QF in Brazil clashes with Yorkshire, but we might not even qualify...

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