Cycling Reports |
Irish champion joins paid ranks
The
27 year old Belfast man has earned a deal with the second division team after a
very impressive season at home and abroad. The Phoenix CC rider was based in
France for much of the 2000 season, with the Perpignon – Rousillon team and
indeed finished the season as the number one ranked amateur in France. After
racing in France, Spain and America for the early part of the season, McCann
came home for the 9-day FBD Milk Ras in May and immediately stamped his
authority on the event. McCann won a stage, was second twice and third on two
more, culminating in his going home with both the green Points jersey and the
polka- dot King of the Mountains jersey. If he had made the all-important
breakaway on stage one which took over four minutes on the rest of the field,
(McCann missed the move - partially due to jet lag as he had only just returned
from racing in the U.S.A a few days previous) then he may have had to make room
in his wardrobe for the yellow jersey of Ras winner too. His
ride in the Ras did much to persuade the Irish team director of the Belfast
man’s worthiness of the second available place in the Olympic Road Race in
Sydney, alongside Waterford’s, Linda McCartney professional, Ciaran Power.
“In my own mind, I know I’m as good as anyone else,” he said at the time,
“I’d just like to see if I can improve on my performance in Atlanta.” McCann
then re-enforced his selection, when he won stage eight of the 11 day Tour of
Guadeloupe with a fine solo victory and returned home to dominate the National
Road Race Championships in Cork in September. The Northerner showed well in the
Olympics against the top professionals and was even cheeky enough to launch
himself out of the chasing peleton with 5 kilometres to go. McCann
then remained Down Under for the Sun Tour where alongside his Irish teammates he
picked up more prizes and more valuable UCI points, earning enough to rank him
the fourteenth best amateur in the world this year. His
next aim was to turn professional and after years of effort and a few months of
courting pro teams, a contract came by way of a teammate at Perpignan. “I had
tried a lot of teams over the past couple of months.” said McCann “But in
the end it was down to a Polish teammate of mine at Perpignan. When he went home
he spoke to Andrzej Sypytkowski – (a former professional turned manager) who
is trying to build a new team, about me. He was interested in me, I got an offer
and am travelling over on Tuesday and will attend the team presentation on
Wednesday.” Mat Cereset are one of five pro teams in Poland and have the biggest squad with 15 riders on their books last season, including sprinter and former Polish Professional Road Race Champion, Cezary Zamana. |
