Irish cycling legend, Vuelta winner and former world No 1, Sean Kelly has described as a “scandal” the lack of promotion by Tourism Ireland of the Giro d’Italia coming to Dublin in May.

Brian Nugent scratches his head and tries to tot up the number of days he has spent abroad with Irish cyclists this year — but can only offer a very rough estimate. “A lot,” he eventually settles for.

The Tour of Ireland is on course to return in 2015 with a five-day 2.1-ranked race on the cards, according to Dublin-based sports marketing firm Shadetree Sports.

The 2014 Giro d’Italia will start in Northern Ireland and will have at least one stage finish in the Republic.

I’m not usually one for trading secrets with guys I want to beat in races, but here’s a confession.

An Irish cyclist who raced against Lance Armstrong last night blasted the shamed American doper.

The 2010 Tour of Ireland has been cancelled due to "current economic conditions".

THIS year’s Tour of Ireland international cycle race has been cancelled due to “financial difficulties” but the organisers are already making plans for its return in 2011.

RACE leader Alexander Wetterhall (Team Sprocket Pro) is bracing himself for another tough day of climbing as today’s penultimate stage of the FBD Insurance Rás takes the riders into the Wicklow Mountains.

NEW leader, Alexander Wetterhall (Sweden Team Sprocket Pro), will wear the yellow jersey when the FBD Insurance Rás arrives at the top of Seskin Hill tomorrow, but it would take a big prediction to identify the possible leader when the race departs the spiritual home of cycling.

The Sean Kelly/ An Post Professional Cycling team endured a most difficult day in the Dwars door Vlaanderen classic today in Belgium, with just one rider of the eight starters finishing the race.

The cycling team which bears the name of Irish cycling legend Seán Kelly has outlined an ambitious list of targets for the coming season and revealed that they are upping a gear in a bid to land success.

Cycling legend Lance Armstrong today insisted his cancer charity work will not be damaged by questions over the use of performance enhancing drugs.

More than 15,000 new cases of cancer in Ireland this year will cost the country €440m, new figures revealed today.

The three-day global cancer summit organised by Lance Armstrong's Livestrong Foundation is due to get underway at the RDS in Dublin today.

BRITISH cyclist Russell Downing won the Tour of Ireland race yesterday amid torrential downpour at St Patrick’s Hill in Cork but spectators near the finish line searched in vain for the icon of the sport Lance Armstrong who dropped out in the final stages.

Russell Downing of the CandiTv-Marshalls Pasta team has won the 2009 Tour of Ireland today.

Mark Cavenish enjoyed a stunning victory in the second stage of the Tour of Ireland from Clonmel to Killarney today.

Russell Downing of the CandiTV – Marshall’s Pasta team sprinted to victory in the opening stage of this year’s Tour of Ireland in Waterford today.

Cycling star Lance Armstrong returned to the Tour of Ireland today for the first time in 17 years, mobbed by fans.

Cycling's Tour of Ireland gets underway in Co Wicklow today.

Eurosport commentary, Milan San Remo, 1992: “And it’s Kelly in there as well! A previous winner of the race; what a finish we’re going to have. The firemen are behind pumping in the coals to try to catch Argentin, anybody with anything left in their legs is trying to get in position before the descent of the Poggio.”

The man killed in a single-vehicle crash in Ardee, Co Louth last night has been identified as 31-year-old Paul Healion, a leading cyclist who had been due to compete in this week's Tour of Ireland as a member of the national team.

LANCE ARMSTRONG wants to conquer St Patrick’s Hill in Cork and he will he will grab the opportunity when the Tour of Ireland finishes in the city on August 23.

ORGANISERS of the Tour of Ireland cycle race, held in association with Fáilte Ireland, have announced a new three-day format for 2009.

DAVID O’LOUGHLIN (An Post/Sean Kelly) attempts to win the Elite road race championship for a fourth time at Dunboyne on Sunday.

SAM BENNETT washed his stage winner’s blue jersey yesterday morning to show it off at last night’s club league race in Carrick-on-Suir and his coach, Martin O’Loughlin, insisted Saturday’s victory in the FBD Insurance Rás stage into Clara was the first of many.

NICHOLAS WALKER (Australia Cinelli-DownUnder) was the surprise stage winner and Simon Richardson (Britain Rapha Condor) took the race-leader’s yellow jersey, but it was young Sam Bennett (Tipperary Dan Morrissey) who turned in the performance of the day to finish sixth in the uphill sprint when the FBD Insurance Rás arrived in Killorglin last evening.

SEAN KELLY predicted yesterday that Lance Armstrong will be back in plenty of time for his bid to extend his Tour de France victories come high summer and Tour of Ireland Project Director, Darach McQuaid, said the mishap will not affect Armstrong’s participation in the Irish showpiece in August.

Lance Armstrong’s scheduled participation in this August’s Tour of Ireland has not been affected by the crash which resulted in him suffering a fracture to the middle third of his right collarbone, race organisers have claimed today.

LANCE ARMSTRONG has guaranteed worldwide interest in this year’s Tour of Ireland by confirming that he will contest the event which takes place from August 19-23 with stage ends yet to be announced.

Lance Armstrong has confirmed he will compete in the Tour of Ireland in August.

Champion cyclist Lance Armstrong is to host an international conference on cancer in Dublin after he takes part in the Tour of Ireland race, it was revealed today.

Lance Armstrong has offered a strong hint that he will compete in the Tour of Ireland next year.

Three-time Italian national time trial champion, Marco Pinotti, has won the 2008 Tour of Ireland after a storming last stage from Killarney to Cork in glorious late summer sunshine.

Russell Downing of the Pinarello CandiTV team took today’s crucial stage of the Tour of Ireland when he sprinted home first of a 13-man bunch that broke clear with 20 kilometres to go.

Mark Cavendish made it a superb three-in-a-row of stage wins at this year's Tour of Ireland after sprinting home in a thrilling bunch gallop into Galway city.

CYCLING legend, Sean Kelly, unveiled his new An Post-sponsored cycling team at the GPO in Dublin yesterday and promised some big performances from the 14-man squad which is comprised of a mix of six Irish and eight foreign riders.

Marco Marcato of Team LPR won Sunday’s final stage of the Tour of Ireland cycle race.

Stijn Vandenbergh remains in the yellow jersey after Norwegian Edvald Boasson Hagen's win in the fourth stage of cycling's Tour of Ireland.

Borut Bozit won today's stage three of the Tour of Ireland after cycling 194km from Tralee to Ennis.

Stijn Vandenbergh remains in the yellow jersey as stage three of the Tour of Ireland gets underway today.

Matti Breschel won Thursday’s second stage of the Tour of Ireland cycle race after 166km from Clonakilty into Killarney.

The second stage of the Tour of Ireland gets underway this morning.