The Tour of Ireland may have collapsed in 2009 but Darach McQuaid is hopeful the Giro start in Ireland next year could be the catalyst to reviving the Irish pro race.
One of the key figures in bringing the Giro d’Italia to Ireland next May, Darach McQuaid said he's hopeful the race can be a catalyst to revive the now defunct Tour of Ireland professional race.
The brother of former UCI president Pat McQuaid, he has a long history in race promotion and was involved in organising the Nissan Classic in Ireland long before the Tour of Ireland.
The latter ended in 2009, but McQuaid believes the race has not taken its last breath.
“I worked on every Nissan Classic back in the 80s and 90s and it was such an incredible event, when Kelly and Roche were in the sport,” he told stickybottle on the occasion of the Giro’s launch in Milan today, Monday.
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“And we had the likes of (Steven) Rooks and (Steve) Bauer here on our roads. I myself brought the Tour of Ireland back in 2007 and it was really well received by national television and the riders. But the economic crash knocked that on the head in 2009 and it ended.”
“But I’m determined to not just use the Giro for its own purpose. The Giro is coming to Ireland and that is a big boost to Irish cycling. But generally the interest and participation in cycling is going through the roof so we’re working hard to bring the Tour of Ireland back some day.”
On today’s confirmation that the 2014 Giro would start in Ireland – in Belfast and Dublin - McQuaid said it’s a project that has been four years in the making and one that’s he’s very proud of.
“We’re very happy, there was a massive contingent of journalists and riders from around the world in Milan today so we couldn’t be happier that the race is actually happening,” he said.
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“It has been almost four years in the making so we’re very proud and are confident it will be a brilliant few days. I travelled to Milan in December in 2009, that was the first meeting we had.”
“I think what won us the right to start the race — because the Giro is no stranger to starts in other countries — was the uniqueness of Belfast; where it has come from and where it is now.”
“Once the various people visited Belfast and Northern Ireland, they knew it was a good fit. And the unique nature of two capital cities too; Dublin and Belfast coming together for a big start. They’d be known around the world.”
Of the route itself, McQuaid said: “We’ve a team-time trial in Belfast on the Friday afternoon, which is more or less flat but does go up to Stormont and then on Saturday there’s the Belfast to Belfast road stage which goes up to Ballymena and along the coast road. It’s a fairly flat stage and will probably result in a sprint.”
“Sunday’s stage will start in Armagh and come down the old coast road to Dundalk, Drogheda and into Dublin, finishing on Upper Merrion Street. That’ll be a stage again for Mr Cavendish.”
“But if Dan Martin is the team leader for Garmin-SHARP, and Nico Roche and Philip Deignan (riding for Saxo and Team Sky respectively) - they’re not confirmed yet - we could have three Irish riders in three different teams who could potentially win the time trial on the Friday. And that would be something else to see, an Irishman in the pink jersey.”
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