The 2014 Giro d’Italia launches in Northern Ireland for the first time this year and BBC Sport NI has confirmed that it will screen live free-to-air coverage of the opening stages.
BBC Northern Ireland will follow every high speed twist and turn as some of the world’s top cyclists, including Nairo Quintana, Marcel Kittel and former Tour de France winner Cadel Evans, negotiate three stages from Belfast to the Irish capital Dublin.
Irish cycling fans will be able to cheer on their local favourites as Dublin rider Nicolas Roche, son of former Giro d’Italia winner Stephen Roche, takes to the roads alongside his cousin Dan Martin and Donegal cyclist Philip Deignan.
One of the greatest challenges in world cycling and the first Grand Tour of the season, the 2014 Giro grand depart takes place on Friday, May 9 with the opening stage, a team time trial at Belfast’s Titanic Quarter.
Then on Saturday, stage two follows the riders as they speed along the picturesque north coast and Glens of Antrim to the sprint finish at Belfast City Hall.
Finally on Sunday, the Giro d’Italia leaves Northern Ireland with the peloton restarting at County Armagh and heading south and a sprint finish in Dublin.
Regular BBC cycling reporter Jill Douglas will present BBC Sport NI’s live coverage of all three stages from May 9-11, all of which will be shown on BBC Two NI.
Alongside her will be BBC Sport NI’s roving reporter Gavin Andrews, who will capture all the colour and atmosphere as the peloton criss-crosses Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
For the opening two days, Douglas will be joined in studio for expert analysis by former British professional rider Michael Hutchinson.
The weekend’s coverage will also include route previews and packages explaining all there is to know about the Giro d’Italia including the intricacies of team time trialing and road racing.
BBC Sport NI’s live coverage of the grand depart will be produced by Century TV, who are also responsible for TV coverage of the Tour of Britain.
Viewers outside Northern Ireland will be able to watch BBC Two NI’s live coverage on Sky channel 972 or Freesat 969, or online via the BBC Sport website.
Once the event leaves Irish shores, fans can follow the event with BBC Northern Ireland by watching daily stage highlights on the BBC Sport NI website as the race for the famous pink jersey continues in its home country of Italy.
On securing live free-to-air coverage of one of Northern Ireland’s biggest ever sporting events, Peter Johnston, director of BBC Northern Ireland, said: “The BBC is delighted to be able to bring the spectacle and excitement of this major international cycling event to audiences throughout Northern Ireland.
“There has been lots of interest in and build up to the Giro D’Italia in recent weeks and it is great news, with the help of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, to have secured the broadcast rights which will now make the event even more accessible through our live coverage across the three days on BBC Two NI.”
The start of the 104-year-old Giro has traditionally taken place in Italy but in recent times has been awarded to an outside country every two years.
It will mean that two of cycling’s major Grand Tours will both make visits to Britain and Ireland in 2014, with the Tour de France starting in Yorkshire.
Enterprise, Trade and Investment Minister Arlene Foster MLA told the BBC: “Anticipation is high as we prepare to host over 200 top professional cyclists from across the globe, who will push themselves to the limit as they battle to earn the right to wear the coveted pink jersey.
“The Giro d’Italia is a world class sporting event – but it is also so much more. It brings with it colour, passion and an atmosphere all of its own and it is great news that BBC Northern Ireland will be at the heart of the event to broadcast the action live.”
Live TV coverage of the stages in Belfast and Dublin, as well as all the remaining stages in Italy, will also be broadcast by British Eurosport, while Sky Sports will also screen daily highlights of every stage from the event.
For more information on the 2014 Giro d’Italia ‘Big Start’ in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, visit the official website.
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