October 09, 2013 (Belfast, Ireland) – The Island of Ireland is set to host the first three stages of the world famous cycling race Giro d’Italia in 2014.  The details of the Giro full cycling route has been announced by organisers RCS Sport in Milan this week with stages 1 and 2 starting and finishing in Belfast, and stage 3 starting in Armagh and finishing in Dublin.

The race begins Friday May 9th in Belfast and the three island of Ireland routes will take in iconic locations in Northern Ireland including Titanic Belfast, Parliament Buildings, the stunning Causeway Coastal Route, before moving on to the picturesque and historic setting of Armagh and south through Dundalk and Drogheda to Dublin with a spectacular finish at the Georgian buildings on Merrion Street in Dublin’s city centre.

Arlene Foster, Minister for Enterprise Trade and Investment in Northern Ireland said: “Everyone in Northern Ireland is looking forward to welcoming this hugely exciting competition to our shores and to embracing the passion, colour and atmosphere that comes with it.”
While Michael Ring, TD, Minister of State for Tourism and Sport in Ireland, said: “Following the spectacular opening stages in Northern Ireland, Dublin will provide a host of special events and a world famous Irish welcome for almost 200 of the world’s top professional cyclists and their spectators.”

It is the 11th time the race has started outside Italy. 200+ riders from over 30 countries together with their technical teams and sponsors will travel to Belfast next May for the Big Start 2014.

The race is expected to attract considerable international media coverage. The Giro d’Italia 2013 was broadcast in 165 countries, reaching 125 million households and a global audience of about 775 million people.

For further details visit here.

The Stages

Stage 1 – Belfast – Belfast
Friday 9 May
Start: Titanic Quarter
Finish: Belfast City Hall
During the Grande Partenza in Belfast in 2014, the cyclists’ route will take in many of the city’s iconic landmarks. The race will start at the Titanic Quarter with the time trials taking place all the way to Donegall Square North, some 21.7km later.

Stage 2 – Belfast – Causeway Coastal Route – Belfast
Saturday 10 May
Start: Titanic Quarter
Finish: Belfast City Hall
This day the whole peloton will loop west through County Antrim and up towards the picturesque coastal town of Portrush. From here, it travels along The Causeway Coastal Route, frequently named as one of the best touring routes in the world. The peloton will speed past historic Carrickfergus Castle along Belfast Lough.

Stage 3 – Armagh to Dublin
Sunday 11 May
Start: The Mall

Finish: Dublin City Centre
Stage three will begin in the heart of Armagh before heading out into the hills of the Orchard County and southbound with a stretch through the rugged Fews Forest and Castlebellingham. The relatively flat approach to the finish line brings you through the seaside villages of Skerries, Portmarnock and Clontarf before finishing in the Georgian centre of Dublin.

A fond farewell
The riders and the race entourage will travel back to Italy the following day, which will be designated as a “travel day” for the event. The racing will resume on Tuesday 13 May 2014.