The Giro d’Italia took Ireland by storm from Friday to Sunday and attracted large crowds and great interest across the route from Belfast to Dublin.
The two themes that the cyclists and the teams took with them as they made their way back to Italy yesterday were the people and the rain. The former is of course a winner and one that Ireland has always played as a trump card in business and in tourism.
The latter is something over which we have no control but which could be a serious issue for hopes of reviving a professional Tour of Ireland off the back of the undoubted Giro success.
When the Tour of Ireland last wound its way with speed and colour across our highways and byways, the rain played a big part then as well. I remember being in Bantry to see Lance Armstrong and other world stars at the time setting off for the ring of Kerry in a thunderstorm of biblical proportions.
Cyclists, like any professional sportsmen and women live in something of a blinkered world. What is it about an event that will affect them? Unfortunately rain and high speed cycling are not a good mix. We saw that when Dan Martin’s Giro adventure came to an end on a slippery roadway on Friday.
The tour of Ireland has a lot going for it. Irish cyclists are making their way up the world rankings and have a growing influence which while not at the same level as their golf colleagues, can still be used to good effect to bring major events here.
Ballyhoura
The UCI is bringing the European Marathon Mountain Bike Championships to Ballyhoura in Limerick in June and the sports power brokers are clearly comfortable dealing with Ireland as event hosts.
Shadetree Sports who were key players in the management of the Giro on Irish soil are confident that a revived Tour of Ireland is possible and are in talks with potential sponsors that would be crucial to it’s happening.
“We are following several leads and are very hopeful of announcing something very soon,” said CEO Darach McQuaid on Sunday. “We think that the Giro start here in Ireland shows what sort of support there is for the sport.”
All Ireland
It is certain that an event would be All Ireland and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board could be key players if they can benefit as much as is planned from the massive exposure the Giro generated.
Fáilte Ireland backed the last Tour of Ireland between 2007 and 2009, on a similar basis to its ongoing support for the Irish Open Golf but that is backed up by major brands at the level just below the headline and a similar strong collection of brands would be needed to make that pro dream come through.
Part of the sales pitch will be the massive growth of interest in participation cycling with events like the Cycle against Suicide, Women on Wheels, the Paris Nice and the Ring of Kerry cycle attracting thousands of committed and higher spending groups to get in the saddle.
Cycling is a sport that is going places fast. A major question though is whether we will have enough dry days to attract the biggest stars to come back on an annual basis.
