McCann on target for first Rás title

Double Olympian David McCann all but sealed victory in the 2004 FBD Milk Rás this afternoon as the Belfast amateur’s solo breakaway at 107km saw him claim the seventh and penultimate stage, 149km from Carrick-on-Suir to Tullow.

Trailing by 23 seconds to race leader Valter Bonca of the Slovenia Team Perutnina Ptuj at the off, 31-year-old McCann bided his time in the lead group before making the telling break which sees him on course for a first ever Rás title.

Just past Mount Leinster the Ulster man opened up a 20-second gap on Bonca and David O'Loughlin, his Ireland-Thorton Recycling’s colleague, who claimed his first ever stage win yesterday on Seskin Hill.

With forty kilometres to go, McCann bridged the gap to forty seconds with Glenn Bak and Kimmo Kananen, both of Scandinavia Bianchi Nordic leading the yello jersey grouping behind.

O’Loughlin then broke clear in an attempt to draw McCann in, having started the day 20 seconds clear of the former national champion, but was sucked back in.

McCann’s lead dwindled to nineteen seconds with Tommy Evans attempting to get across to him, but that effort and further breaks by Denis Lynch, Welsh rider Anthony Malarczyk and Galway’s Dermot Nally were thwarted as McCann held on for his second stage win of the 2004 race.

He took it by 37 seconds, well clear of the pairing of Malarczyk and Nally with Bonca a minute and three seconds behind.

McCann will be bolstered by a healthy forty-second overall lead on tomorrow’s final stage from the Phoenix Park.

It ended a fruitful day for Irish cycling as 23-year-old Sligo man Mark Scanlon boosted his chances of Olympic selection with a win in the 1.3 ranked Talinn GP in Estonia.

World-ranked 159th, the Ag2R Prevoyance rider could also figure in this year's Tour de France, with team placings decided next month.