The countdown continues to the start of the Giro d’Italia in Ireland, with the world’s second biggest cycling event due to start in Belfast exactly four weeks from today.

The first three days of the event will be held on these shores, marking the first time the race has ever begun outside mainland Europe.

The Italian Grand Tour will begin with a team time trial in Belfast on May 9th. It will then continue with a road race stage the following day starting and finishing in the Northern Ireland capital, then a cross-Border race from Armagh to Dublin on May 11th.

Irish riders Nicolas Roche and Dan Martin are set to take part, while Sky's Philip Deignan is hoping for selection after recovering from a fractured collarbone.

In other news Irish riders got their campaign off to a fine start yesterday at the paracycling world championships in Aguascalientes, Mexico.

Katie-George Dunlevy and Eve McCrystal set a new Irish record and finished fifth in the women’s 3km tandem event, while James Brown and Bryan McCrystal fared even better in the men’s 4km contest, netting third fastest in the qualifiers, breaking the national record and booking their place in last night’s bronze medal finals.

Meanwhile, two strong teams with Irish connections have been confirmed for the An Post Rás. Last year’s runner-up Connor McConvey is likely to be part of the Azerbaijan Synergy Baku team, and could be joined by Irish national champion Matt Brammeier and the rider who finished second to him last July, Philip Lavery.

The second team confirmed this week is the Irish registered An Post Chainreaction Sean Kelly team.

The race begins in Dunboyne on May 18th.