Having the Tour de France start in Ireland will bring home to Irish people how big an event the Tour de France actually is. After all, it is the third biggest sporting event in the world - after the Olympics and the World Cup.
What seemed virtually impossible to begin with has worked out due to a combination of things. It all started when Jean-Marie Leblanc, the director of the Tour de France (here to make an award from the International Race Federation to Sean Kelly and myself), the former Minister for Tourism Enda Kenny, the former cyclist and businessman Pat McQuaid, Sean Kelly and myself were all together in Tony O'Reilly's house for dinner following the Ireland/France rugby match two years ago. When it was suggested to Jean-Marie Leblan that the Tour de France come here, he said, "if you prove to us Ireland is a genuine candidate, we'll look at it." So we did.
Irish athletes compete abroad, flying the Irish flag, acting as ambassadors for their country, doing their best to promote Ireland. Well, I'm delighted to be part of bringing the Tour de France here. It makes me very proud.
My role in the next while is to show the Tour de France organisers what we believe to be good routes and they will then make the final decisions. All that is definite at this point is that the first prologue stage will follow a seven- to nine- kilometre route in Dublin on Saturday, July 11th. The first day is a very important day which will be watched by up to 990 million people - all of whom are potential tourists for Ireland.
The second day will start in Dublin and travel across the Wicklow mountains ending in the Phoenix Park. The third day will start in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford and end in Cork from where the contingency will travel to Roscoff by Stena Line. The interest from the world media will be huge. The first three to four days draw in some of the highest number of viewers. With two hours of television viewing each day, an event like this means people will be seeing Ireland in the skin - not just a few minutes of pro- motion like what happens during the Eurovision Song Contest or Dublin Horse Show.
As a country, we have to be ready for it. But, I think Irish people have always risen to the occasion in times like this, and they will again. I also think we can make quality world-class cyclists here, but in the last while we have fallen behind and the potential has gone astray.
At the moment, we are not getting the power through to the wheels. We need to fund schools cycling programmes, coach elite and junior riders.
It's the first time the Tour de France will ever have started on an island. We'll never see anything like it again in our lifetimes. There will be racing, touring and starter cycling events held in and around Dublin while the Tour de France is here. And I'm sure local clubs around the country will hold events too.
Stephen Roche is launching a limited edition of commemorative racing cycle frames at the Paris International Bike Show on September 25th to mark the 10th anniversary of his triple win of the Giro d'Italia, the Tour de France and the World Championships in Austria in the summer of 1987. On this, he adds: "At the time itself, you don't appreciate it. After winning the Giro d'Italia, I was back in Paris training for the Tour de France. After winning the Tour de France, I was back in Ireland and then preparing for the World Championships. I loved winning but I wasn't drinking champagne. I was out there sweating. I didn't take time to savour the wins. If I had, I may not have won."
In conversation with Sylvia Thompson
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