Big stage for cycling ace
ROTHERHAM cyclist Russell Downing is making his first tracks on the top professional racing stage this week.
The Thurcroft racer is pitting his wits against the best in the business on his Grand Tour debut in the gruelling Giro d'Italia, which runs for three weeks.
Downing (32) got the call from Team Sky after proving himself as one of their most consistent performers.
He said: "As a bike rider this is all I have wanted to do. There's an interesting mix of youth and experience in our line-up and it will be interesting to see how we get on."