Stephen Roche believes Cycling Ireland can benefit from the Giro start in Ireland next year rather than miss the opportunity like he says it did when the Tour de France came here in 1998.
Stephen Roche has said while the cycling authorities failed to capitalise on the visit of the Tour de France to Ireland in 1998, he believes the visit of the Giro d’Italia next year can be different.
He also believes the Tour of Ireland professional stage race can be relaunched on the back of the renewed interest in the sport here that will be generated by the Giro’s visit for its opening three stages next May.
"When the Tour de France came here, nobody from the Federation was ready to use it as a springboard. It came and went," Roche said.
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"And then the Pantani affair shot everything dead. Now there's a lot of water under the bridge, we're in a different era altogether."
The Festina affair also erupted during the visit of the Tour to Ireland, making the stages here something of a damage limitation exercise for many of those involved including the former UCI president Pat McQuaid.
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Roche said he was very hopeful the Tour of Ireland – held as a pro race between 2007 and 2009 – could be revived and really benefit the cycling scene here.
"We have some young riders like Nicolas (Roche), Dan (Martin) and Philip Deignan, and they have shown we definitely have a really good breeding ground," he said.
"But the unfortunate thing is the structures on the bottom rungs are poor. It would be great to see infrastructure put in place at home to help kids follow that same path."
"Hopefully with the Giro coming here now, and with the confidence that is in cycling at the moment, it will help sponsors come on board for another Tour of Ireland.”
"It's the way forward. We should have a national tour and that would help young cyclists no end. Kids need something to look forward to.”
"Look at football, it's on TV every day. Exposure for cycling here will help people take it up."
The 2014 Giro starts in Belfast on Friday May 9th with a team time trial in Belfast followed by a 218km road stage the following day starting and finishing in the city. The following day, Sunday, the riders will be taken on a 187km road stage from Armagh to Dublin before departing immediately for Italy.
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