Even the weather came out for the cyclists

BIG-TIME cycling returned to Irish streets and byways yesterday — and the public came out in their thousands to lap it up.

A couple of decades from the heyday of Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and company, and 15 years since the demise of the late-lamented Nissan International Classic, the new Tour of Ireland has brought the top professionals for a five-day jaunt around some of the country’s most breathtaking scenery and iconic streets.

And while the glory days of Irish wins in the big international events may be long gone, the appetite is still there for such a spectacle.