2014 Giro d'Italia Starts This Evening

The 97th Giro d’Italia starts this evening with a 21.7 km team time trial around the city streets of Belfast. The team presentations were yesterday (photo above).

Schedule
Meeting point: Titanic Quarter/Slipway Garden, 1600 (all times local)
First team (Colombia) departs Titanic Quarter at 1750
Teams depart at 5-minute intervals
Last team (Neri Sottoli) departs at 1935
Last team finishes at approx. 2000 at Donegall Square North (City Hall)
Race Headquarters: Belfast Waterfront, 2 Lanyon Place (650 m from the finish line)

Weather
Sunny intervals, medium-level cloud, 15-16 °C. Wind: W, 11-15 mph, very good visibility.

Route
Part mixed and technically demanding city-center route, part long, straight roads suited to high speeds. All roads have cat’s eyes along the centerline. After the stage start at Titanic Belfast, short, straight sections of road alternate with bends up to Upper Newtownlands Road (km 9.3). Thence, the route is straight for over 6 km. The road rises gently along the Prince of Wales Avenue, about 1.1 km long and lined with lime trees, to the split timing point at the Parliament Buildings in Stormont (km 7.9). The statue of 19th/20th century politician Lord Carson marks the mid-stage point. The race route then descends at the same rate, and rejoins the straight road that leads back to the city center. The second split time will be taken at km 15.3 (Oxford St). A further sequence of bends leads to the finish line.

Final kilometers
Entirely urban, slightly uphill, with 90-degree bends and turns leading to a final right-hand bend 300m from the finish, along a straight, well-surfaced, 8m wide asphalt carriageway.

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