Slipping back a place due to the time bonus gained by Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kazakhstani National Team), Irish pro David McCann is lying in fourth place overall in the Tour of Hainan in China. The Belfast rider is regarded as one of the best all-rounders in the event and is in a good position to strike when the 2.1-ranked race hits the tougher final stages.
McCann was 56th in the bunch sprint which settled stage three. Bradley Huff (Jelly Belly) got the better of race leader Boris Shpilevsky (Russian National Team ) in the gallop to the flag, but the latter had his revenge earlier today when he won another mass sprint into Chengmail. McCann was tenth there, rolling over the line in the same time. He had been aggressive in the finale and attempted to win the stage.
“The day was a tough one in the crosswinds and the legs were pretty tired,” he told Irishcycling.com. “I had a tough chase back on after a puncture, then I attacked with fifteen kilometres to go from the 28-man lead group. I spent six kilometres on my own figuring that the group should split behind me.
“The group did split and a group of three came across to me, then seven more. I went ahead again in the last two kilometres with a Polish rider, but we got caught before the line. Shiplevsky won yet again. I felt strong but definitely tired after the efforts."
Shpilevsky has won three stages to date and is a full 39 seconds ahead of second-placed rider Andreas Schillinger (Team Sparkasse). McCann is fourth, 43 seconds back.
The race continues tomorrow with a 171 kilometre leg from Chengmai to Danzhou, including only one category three climb. It runs until Wednesday.
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Tour of Hainan , China (2.1), November 11-19
Stage 3 - November 14: Wenchang – Haikou:
1, Bradley Huff (Jelly Belly 150.7 kilometres in 3 hours 31 mins 6 secs (40.245 km/h)
2, Boris Shpilevsky (Russian National Team )
3, Takashi Miyazawa (Meitan Hompo GDR )
4, Yuri Metlushenko (Ukrainian National Team )
5, Andreas Schillinger (Team Sparkasse )
6, Philip Nielsen (Danish National Team ) all same time
Irish:
56 David McCann (Giant Asia Racing Team) same time
Stage 4 - November 15: Haikou – Chengmai:
1, Boris Shpilevsky (Russian National Team ) 163.5 km in 3.41.03 (43.891km/h)
2, Andreas Schillinger (Team Sparkasse )
3, Blazej Janiaczyk (Polish National Team)
4, Amir Zargari (Tabriz Petrochemical Team)
5, Kiel Reijnen (Jelly Belly )
6, Sergiy Matveev (Ukrainian National Team ) same time
Irish:
10, David McCann (Giant Asia Racing Team ) same time
General classification after stage 4:
1, Boris Shpilevsky (Russian National Team) 15 hours 27 mins 48 secs
2, Andreas Schillinger (Team Sparkasse) at 39 secs
3, Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kazakhstani National Team) at 42 secs
4, David McCann (Giant Asia Racing Team) at 43 secs
5, Michael Christensen (Danish National Team) at 46 secs
6, Kiel Reijnen (Jelly Belly) at 52 secs
Points classification:
1, Boris Shpilevsky (Russian National Team) 69 pts
2, Andreas Schillinger (Team Sparkasse) 35
3, Stefan Löffler (Giant Asia Racing Team) 26
4, Bradley Huff (Jelly Belly) 24
5, Yuri Metlushenko (Ukrainian National Team) 20
6, David McCann (Giant Asia Racing Team) 16
Teams classification:
1, Polish National Team, 46 hours 26 mins 23 secs
2, Kazakhstan National Team, at 28 secs
3, Danish National Team, at 1 min
