David McCann (RTS Racing)
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Approaching the end of what is his final season racing at the Continental level in Asia, David McCann is sitting an excellent fourth overall in the 2.1 ranked Tour of Taihu Lake in China.
The Belfast rider is sixteen seconds behind race leader Milan Kadlec (ASC Dukla Praha) at this halfway point, with Floris Goesinnen (Drapac Cycling) nine seconds off the race lead in ninth overall, and Ki Ho Choi (Hong Kong) just two seconds ahead of McCann in third.
McCann finished sixth on the opening stage, crossing the line in Wuxi Binhu in the same time as the winner Kadlec. Making the select group put him sixth overall, a position he held on Friday’s second stage to Shuangshandao Island and yesterday’s race to Xitaihu Lake.
He was 40th and 48th on those two stages, with Alois Kankovsky (ASC Dukla Praha) and Alexander Serebryakov (Team Type 1 - Sanofi) first to the line.
Today’s stage ran 155 kilometres from Liyang Shuixicun Villiage to Wawushan Hill Circuit, and was another big group finish. He rolled in 28th but nevertheless improved two places, inching closer to a podium finish.
“Taihi is one seriously flat race,” he wrote after today’s stage. “It's usually a total sprinters benefit, but I knew I had come out of the 9 day HC race in Hainan with some good legs. I was really angry at myself in Hainan to blow up out of the top-6 group one kilometre from the top of the only mountain stage. So even though we just had 3 days between the races I came to Taihu pretty motivated. It is more than likely my last-ever UCI tour so that helps too.”
McCann is still nervous after a big crash earlier this year in the Tour of Korea, where he lost the top of his thumb and suffered a bad hand infection. “I’m not interested in all in getting into the mix in the crazy sprint finishes,” he said. “I knew there was nothing in it for me if it came to sprints every day so on stage one I just raced super-aggressively on and finally managed to drag a group away. I did far too much work and was a bit flat at the end, with some fresher legs in that group.” However he had enough left to nab sixth.
Bunch sprints Friday and Saturday kept things constant, but today’s stage was more selective. “Stage four today had three 50km laps, and some beautiful crosswind guttering sections and one small hill. The race blew apart on the last lap with a few of the GC guys missing out. A 35 man group sprinted in and I moved up to fourth overall.”
McCann noted that the older riders are performing well; today’s stage was won by 36 year old Metlushenko, while Kadlec is two years old. McCann is 39, although that doesn’t make him the most senior.
“I still have never managed to be the oldest guy in a race, though, as Kam-po Wong is here and is four days older than me; he’s on his last race, too.”
The 2.1 ranked race continues tomorrow with a 110.6 kilometre race from Yixing Shanjuandong Cave to Bamboo Forest Park.
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Tour of Taihu Lake, China (2.1)
November 1, Stage 1: Wuxi Binhu - Wuxi Binhu:
1, Milan Kadlec (ASC Dukla Praha) 140 kilometres in 3 hours 3 mins 45 secs
2, Joey Rosskopf (Team Type 1 - Sanofi)
3, Floris Goesinnen (Drapac Cycling)
4, Ki Ho Choi (Hong Kong) at 3 secs
5, Mathieu Delaroziere (La Pomme Marseille)
6, David McCann (RTS Racing Team) all same time
General classification after stage 1:
1, Milan Kadlec (ASC Dukla Praha) 3 hours 3 mins 32 secs
2, Joey Rosskopf (Team Type 1 - Sanofi) at 7 secs
3, Floris Goesinnen (Drapac Cycling) at 9 secs
4, Ki Ho Choi (Hong Kong) at 14 secs
5, Mathieu Delaroziere (La Pomme Marseille) at 16 secs
6, David McCann (RTS Racing Team) same time
November 2, Stage 2: Zhangjiagang Shuangshandao Island:
1, Alois Kankovsky (ASC Dukla Praha) 129 kilometres in 2 hours 50 mins 16 secs
2, Yuri Metlushenko (Konya Torku Seker Spor)
3, Alexander Serebryakov (Team Type 1 - Sanofi)
4, Sebastian Körber (Nutrixxion Abus)
5, Leonid Krasnov (RusVelo)
6, Samuel José Rodrigues Caldeira (Carmim - Prio) all same time
Irish:
40, David McCann (RTS Racing Team) same time
November 3, Stage 3: Wujin Yancheng Park - Xitaihu Lake:
1, Alexander Serebryakov (Team Type 1 - Sanofi) 114.8 kilometres in 2 hours 31 mins 2 secs
2, Alois Kankovsky (ASC Dukla Praha)
3, Benjamin Giraud (La Pomme Marseille)
4, Sebastian Körber (Nutrixxion Abus)
5, Michael Schweizer (Nutrixxion Abus)
6, Milan Kadlec (ASC Dukla Praha) all same time
Irish:
48, David McCann (RTS Racing Team) same time
General classification after stage 3:
1, Milan Kadlec (ASC Dukla Praha) at 8 hours 24 mins 50 secs
2, Joey Rosskopf (Team Type 1 - Sanofi) at 7 secs
3, Floris Goesinnen (Drapac Cycling) at 9 secs
4, Ki Ho Choi (Hong Kong) at 14 secs
5, Mathieu Delaroziere (La Pomme Marseille) at 16 secs
6, David McCann (RTS Racing Team) same time
November 4, Stage 4: Liyang Shuixicun Villiage - Wawushan Hill Circuit:
1, Yuri Metlushenko (Konya Torku Seker Spor) 155 kilometres in 3 hours 34 mins 26 secs
2, Alois Kankovsky (ASC Dukla Praha)
3, Kevin Peeters (Landbouwkrediet-Euphony)
4, Leonid Krasnov (RusVelo)
5, Joeri Stallaert (Landbouwkrediet-Euphony)
6, Sebastian Körber (Nutrixxion Abus)
Irish:
28, David McCann (RTS Racing Team) same time
General classification after stage 4:
1, Milan Kadlec (ASC Dukla Praha) 11 hours 59 mins 16 secs
2, Floris Goesinnen (Drapac Cycling) at 9 secs
3, Ki Ho Choi (Hong Kong) at 14 secs
4, David McCann (RTS Racing Team) at 16 secs
5, King Lok Cheung (Hong Kong)
6, Thomas Vaubourzeix (La Pomme Marseille) at 20 secs
Points classification:
1, Alois Kankovsky (ASC Dukla Praha) 43 pts
2, Alexander Serebryakov (Team Type 1 - Sanofi) 28
3, Yuri Metlushenko (Konya Torku Seker Spor) 26
Irish:
20, David McCann (RTS Racing Team) 5
Teams classification:
1, La Pomme Marseille, 35 hours 59 mins 17 secs
2, ASC Dukla Praha, at 30 secs
3, Drapac Cycling
Other:
18, RTS Racing Team, at 17 mins 49 secs