Irish road race champion David McCann moved up a place to an excellent fourth overall in the Jayco Herald Sun Tour in Australia today, riding strongly to the summit finish at Lake Mountain.
McCann placed 7th at the top of the climb, crossing the line 2 minutes and 7 seconds behind the stage winner Matthew Lloyd of the South Australia.com team. He finished 7 seconds behind last year’s race winner Simon Gerrans (Australian National Team), who moves into the race lead with two stages remaining.
McCann is now 4th overall, 11 seconds back, and with an 11.3 kilometre time trial to come tomorrow before Saturday’s final criterium stage, he has a strong chance to equal or improve upon his third place overall last year. Indeed, the race win is possible if he can take enough time out of Gerrans and the rider who is second overall, Phil Zajicek (Navigators Insurance).
McCann’s fellow Irishman Ciarán Power is also faring well in the general classification. He is 12th overall, 4 minutes and 35 seconds back. The Navigators Insurance rider was 24th today, 1 place behind another Irishman Paul Griffin (Giant Asia). Both came in as part of a group going for 15th place, 5 minutes and 14 seconds behind the stage winner. Stephen Gallagher was 77th.
Griffin and Gallagher are 41st and 49th overall in the 2.1 ranked race.
