Giro eve: Hello from Albania

Listen to Daniel and Lionel's pre-Giro episode recorded in Durrës

A bicycle in the centre of the Roman amphitheatre in Durrës in readiness for stage one. It’s in the colours of the Belgian flag… an omen for Wout van Aert perhaps?

Listen to Daniel and Lionel’s first despatch from Albania

by Lionel Birnie

We’ve arrived in Albania, travelling from Mother Teresa airport in the capital Tirana to Durrës, on the coast. We’re staying in a very nice boutique hotel called the Art Gallery, which is right opposite the Roman amphitheatre which could once hold 20,000 people.

Daniel and I sat down to record our first impressions of Albania and to reflect on the news which broke last night that Matt White had left his role as sports director of the Jayco-Alula team with immediate effect.

As we were waiting for the man to return to the car hire kiosk at the airport we saw Jayco-Alula’s GM Brent Copeland. He was tight-lipped about the decision but it’s a topic we discussed in this mini episode, which you can listen to above.

The ruins of the Roman amphitheatre in Durrës, as seen from my hotel room window. Photo by Lionel Birnie

The Art Gallery hotel, our base for the first night.

Daily Giro d’Italia coverage starts on Friday, May 9