CYCLING/Tour of Ireland:Starting in the historic environs of Kilkenny Castle and finishing after two ascents of the hallowed St Patrick's Hill in Cork, the opening stage of the Tour of Ireland will get under way today to begin a five-day battle for stage victories and the final yellow jersey.
A total of 109 riders will take part in the 2.1-ranked international event, among them some of the biggest names in professional cycling and the most talented young Irish riders in the sport.
Luxembourg brothers Frank and Andy Schleck are probably the biggest names in the peloton, having between them won the Amstel Gold Classic, the Alpe d'Huez stage of the Tour de France and taken second overall in the Tour of Italy. But there are many others who could triumph.
Their CSC team-mate Karsten Kroon is one, as is former Tour de France green jersey winner Baden Cooke (Unibet). He is a top sprinter but also a good enough power climber to entertain hopes of winning.
Fellow ProTour team rider Bernhard Eisel (T-Mobile) is similarly a fast finisher and can pick up the bonus seconds which could make a difference. UCI Europe Tour leader Martijn Maaskant (Rabobank) has been in strong form this season, while Team Maxbo Bianchi's young Norwegian talent Edvald Basson Hagen has been hoovering up victories of late and will come to the race on a confidence high.
Irish hopes for stage wins and a high overall placing could perhaps best lie with ProTour riders Nicolas Roche and his Ireland team-mate Philip Deignan, both of whom have been riding top-ranked events recently.
But others from here who could do something along the way include national road race champion David O'Loughlin (Navigators Insurance), plus David McCann (Colavita Sutter Home) and Murphy and Gunn/Newlyn Group/M Donnelly Sean Kelly trio Stephen Gallagher, Páidí O'Brien and Mark Cassidy.
O'Loughlin, one of those who spoke at a press conference yesterday, said he was fired up to do well. "To be the national champion in this national tour is very motivating for me. So too because there hasn't been a race of this standard in Ireland for a long, long time. I am looking forward to the week.
"I'm just going to treat every day like a one-day race. I will see how tomorrow goes, it is going to be a hard finish with St Patrick's Hill and I am going to have to be aggressive."
Australian Baden Cooke said he was back in good form after a bad crash in the Tour of Catalunya earlier this season.
"When I came back after the accident I did some one-day races, which I obviously struggled in. That was about a month ago. Since then I have trained really hard and I was focusing on the ProTour race in Hamburg on Sunday. I was in really good form there, I am back to 100 per cent fitness now."
Four-time Nissan Classic Tour of Ireland victor Sean Kelly said that today's two ascents of Patrick Hill will be important, and that the run-up to the start of the 1:4 slope was going to be perhaps of biggest significance. "It is not the hill itself which is crucial, it is the positioning before the hill. The top guys should get up it fine, although it is certainly tough. What's important is being in the right place, because, in going up it, if someone misses a gear shift and falls, you could perhaps have 10 guys getting through and the rest being held up. So being in the right place is crucial."
Former stage winner Stephen Roche said the Irish riders face extra pressure, but that this will also motivate them. "Racing at home is always different to racing on the Continent. You always like riding in your own home ground and that is why it is great that Fáilte Ireland has come on board and supported this event. It gives Irish riders the chance to race back home, and hopefully this will also encourage the young people watching on television to get involved."
The action begins with 174km from Kilkenny Castle to Cork, leaving at 12.35pm and heading on to sprints in Kelly's backyard of Carrick-on-Suir and in Clonmel.
The riders will then climb the second category ascent of the Vee, hit another bonus sprint in Lismore and then pass through Midleton en route to Cork city, the ascents of St Patrick's Hill and the finish on South Mall.
