If you want to see a great documentary series on cycling in Ireland and watch well known former racer Stephen Gallagher on screen, tune in to BBC Northern Ireland tonight - Monday, June 1st - at 10.45pm.
Former professional rider and the last Irish man to win the An Post Rás, Stephen Gallagher, is set to appear on a BBC Northern Ireland series tonight, Monday, June 1st.
The former bike rider turned biking businessman will take actor and comedian Michael Smiley around some of Northern Ireland's best cycling roads for the latest instalment of the Something to Ride Home About TV series.
It is now in its second year, with tonight's episode the second of 2015 series.
Smiley, an avid bike rider and self confessed cycling nut, traverses his native Northern Ireland talking to a wide variety of people whose lives are based in cycling and are working on various projects to build all aspects of the sport in Ireland.
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Tonight, Gallagher takes him on some of the roads used by the riders in last year's Giro d'Italia, which started in the North.
He also speaks about the highs and lows of his cycling career and how he has turned his passion for cycling into a thriving business, Dig Deep Coaching.
In Rás yellow and on his way to winning the event outright in 2008 when he rode with An Post-Sean Kelly.
While Gallagher and business partner Dan Fleeman - himself an ex pro - are based in the North and England respectively, they use communication technology to coach a large group of cyclists and triathletes - from beginners to internationals - all over the world.
Gallagher left Ireland for France aged 17 years, going on to represent Ireland many times and race for a variety of teams in Continental Europe before moving to the An Post-Sean Kelly team.
He won the Rás with that squad in 2008 but tragedy would strike a year later with Gallagher and his wife Judith lost their son Cody after a battle with illness.
A period of time away from cycling, initially to care for his son and then to try and come to terms with the devastation at losing young Cody, was followed by a return and stint with UK-based IG Sigma Sport.
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In 2011 he began Dig Deep Coaching and now aged 34 years is enjoying growing that business and watching it thrive.
He said he "thoroughly enjoyed" filming with Smiley last summer for the show that will be broadcast tonight.
"Last year's series seemed to go down really well and while this year's one has only just started, BBC NI tell me the reception for it has been absolutely massive," he said of Something to Ride Home About.
With Stephen Roche attending a publicity event in the run up to the Giro d'Italia starting in the North last year.
"They tend to feature three people per programme; interviewing them and cycling with them and talking to them about their life and involvement in cycling.
"They contacted me last year and asked me to come along so, yeah, I was delighted," added Gallagher.
He had just finished working as a contact between the Giro owners RCS Sport and those organising the event in the North when approached by BBC.
"The backdrop is the location the Giro came to. But we spent a long time talking about my involvement in cycling; my journey, why I stopped cycling and now the business."
Gallagher added he was taken aback by Smiley's knowledge of and passion for cycling, saying his genuine investment in the series had made it a hit.
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