McCANN WINS TOUR OF TAIWAN

Irish pro David McCann today sealed victory in winning the Tour de Taiwan, and made history in doing so. The 37 year old Belfast rider became the first rider ever to lead the race from start to finish, having won the opening stage last Sunday and then defending his yellow jersey all the way. He was fourteenth on the final stage.

McCann did things the hard way, too, having a chest infection since before the race.

Today’s final stage was a 60 kilometre criterium in Taipei and while it was unlikely that significant gaps would open up, he still had to keep a very close eye on his three main rivals, who were between eight and fourteen seconds back. A total of 19 seconds were up for grabs, between the three intermediate sprints and the final gallop to the line.

McCann and his Giant Asia team allowed an eleven-man breakaway to go clear and these were able to mop up all of the bonus seconds, thus effectively protecting his lead.

Malaysian rider Rezuan Zainal won the stage, outsprinting eight others from the break, while McCann came home in the main bunch, eleven seconds later. He was fourteenth across the line.

He finished eight seconds clear of Philip Gaimon (Kenda Presented By Geargrinder) in the final general classification, with William Clarke (Genesys Wealth Advisers) a further three seconds back.

“We have a strong team and I was not worried about the breakaway riders. I had all those whom I needed to watch out for with me at the back,” he said after the stage.

“I worked for one stage and for the rest of the tour, my team-mates worked real hard, so the yellow jersey is as much theirs as it is mine.”

The race is a very important one for his Giant Asia team, given that it is based in their home country of Taiwan.

UCI president Pat McQuaid started today’s race and was there to see his compatriot triumph overall.

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Tour de Taiwan (2.2, March 14-20)

Stage 7, Taipei Criterium:

1, Rizuan Zainal (Malaysia National Team) 60 kilometres in 1 hour 21 mins 26 secs
2, Shinichi Fukushima (Geumsan Ginseng Asia)
3, Dean Windsor (Rapha Condor Sharp)
4, Rebiewski Jaroslaw (CCC Polsat Polkowice)
5, Jonathan Sundt (Kenda presented by Geargrinder)
6, Takeaki Ayabe (Aisan Racing Team)
7, Ying Hon Yeung (Hong Kong Team)
8, Hari Fitrianto (Polygon Sweet Nice Team)
9, Tomohiro Hayakawa (Japan National Team) all same time
10, Masamichi Yamamoto (Team Bridgestone Anchor) at 7 secs
11, Jaan Kirsipuu (CKT Tmit - Champion System) at 11 secs

Irish:

14, David McCann (Giant Asia Racing Team) same time


Final General Classification:

1, David McCann (Giant Asia Racing Team) 20 hours 51 mins 56 secs
2, Philip Gaimon (Kenda presented by Geargrinder) at 8 secs
3, William Clarke (Genesys Wealth Advisers) at 11 secs
4, Takashi Miyazawa (Japan National Team) at mins 14 secs
5, King Wai Cheung (Hong Kong Team) at 26 secs
6, Dean Downing (Rapha Condor Sharp) at 29 secs
7, Chun Kai Feng (Action Cycling Team) at 30 secs
8, Takeaki Ayabe (Aisan Racing Team) at 43 secs
9, Roger Beuchat (CKT Tmit - Champion System) at 51 secs
10, Ki Ho Choi (Hong Kong Team) at 53 secs


Points Classification:

1, Takashi Miyazawa (Japan National Team) 62 pts
2, Dean Downing (Rapha Condor Sharp) 47
3, Smolen Tomasz (CCC Polsat Polkowice) 35
4, Takeaki Ayabe (Aisan Racing Team) 34
5, Matysiak Bartlomiej (CCC Polsat Polkowice) 27
6, Shinichi Fukushima (Geumsan Ginseng Asia) 26

Irish:

13, David McCann (Giant Asia Racing Team) 16

Teams Classification:

1, Hong Kong Team, 62 hours 39 mins 45 secs
2, Shimano Racing Team, at 1 min 36 secs
3, Action Cycling Team, at 3 mins 28 secs
4, Giant Asia Racing Team, at 4 mins 16 secs
5, CCC Polsat Polkowice, at 7 mins 22 secs
6, Japan National Team, at 7 mins 24 secs


Mountains Classification:

1, Ki Ho Choi (Hong Kong Team) 22 pts
2, Chun Kai Feng (Action Cycling Team) 20
3, Rizuan Zainal Zainal (Malaysia National Team) 13
4, Nathan Haas (Genesys Wealth Advisers) 10
5, Philip Gaimon (Kenda presented by Geargrinder) 10
6, Deon Locke (CKT Tmit - Champion System) 8


Asian Riders Classification:

1, Takashi Miyazawa (Japan National Team) 20 hours 52 mins 10 secs
2, King Wai Cheung (Hong Kong Team) at 12 secs
3, Chun Kai Feng (Action Cycling Team) at 16 secs
4, Takeaki Ayabe (Aisan Racing Team) at 29 secs
5, Ki Ho Choi (Hong Kong Team) at 39 secs
6, Yuzuru Suzuki (Shimano Racing Team) at 45 secs