Cycling has us all in a spin
LET’S get our spoke in this week for the great sport of cycling.
It might have been a cold, wet weekend in all parts of Ireland but the spectacular start of the world-famous Giro d’Italia gave a multi-million euro boost to the east coast from Belfast to Dublin via Armagh. It’s been estimated that it brought out half a million spectators, along with an entourage of more than 3,500 people, and it was seen on television worldwide by an audience of 125 million.
Next comes our own big cycling event, the 1,260km eight-day An Post Rás, departing from Dublin this Sunday, May 18th and finishing on May 25th.
One Connacht team will be among the 38 teams competing, with Derek Joyce (Annaghdown), Seán McInerney (Oranmore), Pádraig Marrey (Ballinrobe) and Paddy Clarke (Ballina) bravely up against mostly professional teams from Britain and many European countries.