Something good for the country for a change

Great news and looking forward to watching it. Cycling is so popular in Ireland right now I think it will get a lot of support and be great for promoting the country as well as our own feelings on the country

Great, we need every bit of positive PR that we can get, it’s another small step towards economic recovery.

Great news. With so many people cycling these days it could be even bigger than the tour in 98.

More great news for Irish Cycling. Martin Irvine has qualified for the for the final of 4K event at the World Track Championships in Minsk, guaranteeing himself at least a silver medal. The final is on later this evening. Good luck Martin. Absolutely phenomenal performance from the Irish team so far, with Caroline Ryan just missing out on a medal yesterday.

Down in Limerick myself but have no hesitation travelling up – will hopefully be a great show. Regardless of the drug/doping scandals, the people competing in this sport represent the apex of human fitness and endurance.

Hope flag demonstrators are on holidays when it begins

Great news, roll on 2014.

Thats great news. Hopefully more international events to follow

How do you say ‘Mind the potholes’ in Italian…

Agree with Norman “bites yer legs” Hunter. How anybody can see negatives in this is beyond me. Its a good news story that shows what a country of moaners and begrudgers we live. We are welcoming one of the worlds most prestigious annual sporting events to our shores which should be deemed an honour. It is a massive boost economically for tourism in the entire Island.
Ironically cycling is probably as clean a sport as it has been in its entire existence, yet finds itself in a pickle because of retroactive findings and admissions due to laziness and corruption in the running of the sport over the last 20 years.
Looking forward to seeing the route maps and getting out to rec the roads. Unfortunately some of our roads in the Republic are already completely wrecked and will need massive improvement or risk being shown up by the Norths roads. Riders that come hear for the Ras are always commenting on the poor quality of roads they must race when here.

“from what i’ve read they were/ are rampant in cycling”
I presume that means you are not a fan of the sport Niall. If you had read more or were more interested in the sport you would be aware that from the tours inception 110 years ago riders have been taking whatever necessary to complete the grueling slog to Paris. In the early years ethers, alkaloids and amphetamines, even alcohol breaks were agreed between riders known as “thirst truces” when they would stop in a pub for a drink.

When a sport has such an intrinsic link with drugs its not so easy to clean it up but with the introduction of the Biological passport the sport has become more transparent and cheats are no longer slipping through the cracks. They are being caught and that is why there have been even more bad news stories for cycling since ’08. I’m sure your a football fan Niall? Dont know if you seen the other week that the Biological passport is being introduced for the 2014 WC. Why would this happen unless there was suspicion? With the financial advantages out there to these cheats there is no reason why the less scrupulous wouldnt take drugs to win. With that in mind none of the American sports are signed up, Tennis, Boxing, Rugby either to name a few.
Getting tired, and bored, of arguing this point with so many people who are commenting on the sport of cycling without knowing a lick about it or the world of sport in general. If “knowing cheats are winning takes the sport out of it” for you then you, and the other people you say think like you, need to take a closer look at whatever sporting events you do take an interset in.

Why are two stages starting and finishing in Belfast?

Jees, more junkies on the streets.

Which one

There’s only one Eire !!! Now and forever!

All this means is loads of traffic congestion. Why don’t they run this crap in their own country?

I personally can’t take professional cycling seriously anymore as it seems some/several competitors are taking performance enhancing drugs and its been going on for decades, I hate feeling like this as it should be a fantastic spectacle but knowing that there will be cheats among the participants just ruins it for me.