Sean Kelly said he was praying the sun would shine in July when the Tour de France passes through the Wicklow mountains. "Wicklow looks fabulous when there's good weather, but can be terrible when it rains," he said out of the media scrum which surrounded himself, Stephen Roche, and last year's winner, Jan Ullrich.
The Tour's "prologue" time-trial on July 11th will start in College Green - "outside Dublin's magnificent Trinity College", said Jean-Marie Leblanc.
The 200 riders will average about 35 mph along Nassau Street, Clare Street, Merrion Square, Fitzwilliam Street, Leeson Street, St Stephen's Green, Cuffe Street, Kevin Street, Patrick Street, under the Christ Church arch, along the North Quays, finishing in O'Connell Street - "the Champs Elysee of Dublin", Mr Leblanc added.
The 180-kilometre first stage the following day will start officially at the GPO on O'Connell Street, but the racing proper will only begin when the flag comes down at the monument honouring Stephen Roche in Dundrum.
It will proceed via Stillorgan, Loughlinstown, Shankill, Bray (Shay Elliott's home town), Kilmacanogue, Ashford, Wicklow, and on to Arklow. From there it will turn inland to Avoca, Woodenbridge, Rathdrum, Laragh, over the Wicklow Gap to Holywood and Blessington, and return to the Phoenix Park through Tallaght, Templeogue, Walkinstown, the Naas Road, and Inchicore.
The 200-kilometre second stage will begin at Enniscorthy's Fair Green on July 13th. It will pass through New Ross, Waterford, Kilmeaden, Carrick-on-Suir (Sean Kelly's home town), Dungarvan, Youghal, Midleton and Cork. It will finish on the Carrigrohane Road in mid-afternoon in order to allow the massive air and sea-lift to get under way to ensure a prompt restart in Roscoff, France, the following lunchtime.