MN Peloton - Giro d'Italia, 9th May Belfast to 1st June Trieste.

[PansBigChainring]

Almost here....how's the training regime going?

The first of the three Grand Tours, Tour of Italy, departs from Belfast with a team time trial from the Titanic shipyard, before a second day riding round the North, and then a third day from Armagh to Dublin centre, and then a flight to southern Italy and few weeks easy riding up through central Italian Apennines, over the Dolomites and a cruise through to Trieste on the Adriatic coast. No problems then...

Some useful links?

Overall route and maps

The understandably excited local Belfast press

and a bit more general fuss

Most of the usual pro-cycling suspects will be competing, and returning for the Tour de France Yorkshire in July.

Before all of this though there's a few 'classic' races to be had, but we can put those to another thread? Nothing else should get in the way of 3 days of professional racing in the Irish sunshine.

Wondering where NicholasTeacozy is? A NCer?

Nifty!

I can't wait - it's all getting so exciting here in Belfast

My DS has been stalking more teams when he should be revising!

No, no, nononononono NO you can't let him revise if there are teams to support, stalk away angelDS.

Well things are pinking up nicely here in b'fast city. I can report the arrival of the first of the united world Press. I directed a hack from la Gazetta to a sandwich shop today and spyed Mr Stephen Roche ( back of him) being probed by the local news chappy.
S'all go.
The podium is half built at city hall. Many shop windows are joining in with a curious selection of pink items, including the chemist with pink bodyform sanitary towels in a stunning giro design. Ahem.
People are starting to have panic attacks about the buses being off on Friday, road closures and the like.
There is a low suspicious hum in the town about all the Lycra clad forriners.
Anyone with any entrepreneurial spirit is flogging pink umbrellas ( it's like February out there) or pink wigs- nice

Loving the new username Cremola

What do you think of the fairly dodgy pink ribbon wrapped round the trees outside Queens?

Do you think the people of Belfast know what's coming?

Loving the new username Cremola

What do you think of the fairly dodgy pink ribbon wrapped round the trees outside Queens?

Do you think the people of Belfast know what's coming?

Loving the new username Cremola

What do you think of the fairly dodgy pink ribbon wrapped round the trees outside Queens?

Do you think the people of Belfast know what's coming?

really shoddy Angel. Same all the way up the N'ards Rd.( on random lampposts, not all of them) Looks like it was done by drunk students watched over by stern members of The Visit Belfast welcoming committee , looking at their watches. I mean really? some puce ribbon and a tube of pritt. Do they not know that this will be watched by thousands on telly? My face will be pink as well if they televise that tbh Its a Grand Tour , not a My Little Pony Jamboree

Hello have not checked in for months, I really want to watch this but think it's only on Eurosport which I don't have. Why don't they put it on proper telly eh? Anyway I can report that Yorkshore is wildly overexcited already and yellow bikes are nailed to everything. Roads will be closed here on grand depart day from 4am, already letters in the local paper complaining about the disruption but on the plus side lots of the roads round here have been smoothed.

Am watching out for suspiciously quick cyclists in case they are pro teams doing a recce!

Love the NC! Excellent!
And hi there Endo. If you have a digital receiver it's on BBC NI, isn't it?
Not sure exactly what the Queens thing is but can imagine. Hope it's all dealt with.

Endoplasmic I'm in Leeds and keep eyeballing cyclists too haha! Best thing about the whole thing is the smooth roads. DP can't decide if he wants to get a spot on one of the climbs or try and get to Harrogate for the finish, which would mean an extremely early start and lots of hanging around with 6 month old dd! Are you planning on going out to watch?

Felixstowe yes we can walk to the route on both days! Not going to try to get to Harrogate as unlikely to get a good view anyway as there will be so many people there.

Disappointing weather here in NI, today i had to give away my tickets for the Presentation event on tomorrow night at the City Hall - have been guilted into attending the school play with my DD in it!

Need to organise warm clothing i think for the weekend is looking to be damp.

It is miserably cold - you're right. We must trust in the stoic ability of The People of Norn Iron to be outstanding in the rain. Yeh!

But
The riders are arriving. I have seen
Quintana < squee> surrounded by small boys on bikes doing wheelies.
Viva Movistar!!

I can report the arrival of many beautiful Mediterranean types in dayglo. These are not clothes the local population have much experience of
Keeping eyes perked for sky riders.

Angel can't believe you had to give up those tickets!!! I am stewarding so may end up in a dark corner of Chichester street:0(

Cremola not sure if I should be admitting this all.
Have permitted my DC to become stalkers today after school. Lol

My DD is now proud owner of actual moviestar water bottle taken from actual Quintana's bicycle about 10 mins ago.
It's still got water and DNA she said!

I can't believe how accommodating the teams have been to them. They both look harmless I suppose.

Good luck marshalling - I have a dog to look after so couldn't volunteer.

Endo From going to watch the finish in Paris a few years ago, the finish is likely to be highly restricted - lots of ticket-only areas and you are unlikely to get a good view.

DH is Tourmaking in the Saturday so I am going to take the DDs (5&7) to the nearest Hub to watch on the screen, see the caravan and soak up the atmosphere. I am Tourmaking on the Sunday and DH plans to get the kids up very very early and go to the start in York and try to mingle amongst the team buses. Good luck with that plan, DH.

IF we had no kids, or ones that didn't need entertaining, I'd be looking to get out to the climbs and the less populous parts of the route - probably staying out the night before or getting there very very early....

at angel's DD

Team sky are staying on Holywood rd so surely you could take detours that way and bound to see then at some point. I saw photos in twitter so they have def been out already.

She and DS also got 2 water bottles from Lampre Merdida team - but thankfully they are new and unused.

They are both so excited, they are cycling fans and have been to le Tour and Vuelta (sunnier times) as well as numerous local cycle events.