Lance Armstrong stole the show as he unexpectedly walked in on the launch of this year's Tour of Ireland.
The seven-time Tour de France winner arrived in the country with his Astana team to compete in the reduced three-day race from Wicklow to Cork.
Despite a hectic schedule in the last few days - an impromptu bike ride and U2 concert in Glasgow and fundraising in Oslo - last year's champion, Marco Pinotti, has warned that Armstrong is not just making up the numbers.
'He never races just to train, he's here to show the world,' Italian Pinotti said.
'Astana has a very strong team roster here and I'm sure there will be some men to watch.
'It will be more difficult to win this year because the competition is higher and the presence of big stars made a huge impact on the race.'
The race begins this morning and takes the riders the 196km from Powerscourt, Enniskerry, Co Wicklow to Waterford, where the riders are due some time after 2.15pm.
