Irish road race champion David McCann has a real chance of winning the Jayco Herald Sun Tour in Australia tomorrow, after finishing second by the smallest of margins in today’s penultimate stage, a 11.3 kilometre time trial in Kew.
The Giant Asia rider finished just .82 of a second behind stage winner Ben Day (Carvalelhos-Boavista) in the race against the clock, with Savings and Loan Cycling Team rider Chris Jongewaard taking third, a second behind Day.
As a result, Jonegewaard took over race leadership from last year's winner Simon Gerrans (Australian National Team), with McCann moving from fourth to an excellent second overall.
He and third-placed Gerrans are just one second behind Jongewaard in the overall standings, ensuring that tomorrow's concluding 80 minutes plus three lap-criterium in Lygon is a real cliffhanger.
There are bonus seconds up for grabs in two intermediate sprints and also at the finish, so the battle will rage from the drop of the flag until the end.
Meanwhile Ciarán Power (Navigators Insurance) continued his solid ride in the race, placing 25th in the time trial and remaining 12th overall. Stephen Gallagher and Paul Griffin were 60th and 74th today and both stay in the same positions as before the time trial, with Griffin 41st and Gallagher 49th.
JAYCO HERALD SUN TOUR, AUSTRALIA
Stage 6 Studley Park and Yarra Boulevard, Kew (ITT), 11.3 km
1 B Day (C-Boavista) 15:45.78
2 D McCann (Giant Asia) +0.82
3 C Jongewaard (Sav & Loans) +1
4 P Zajicek (Nav Ins Team) +11.88
5 S Gerrans (Aus Nat Team) +12.19
6 D Rollin (Can Nat Team) +20.08
Other Irish:
25 C Power (Nav Ins Team) +1:0.65
60 S Gallagher (Giant Asia) +2:4.69
74 P Griffin (Giant Asia) +2:26.47
General classification after stage 6:
1 C Jongewaard (Sav & Loans) 19:07:07
2 D McCann (Giant Asia) +1.0
3 S Gerrans (Aus Nat Team) same time
Other Irish:
12 C Power (Nav Insurance) at 5:25
41 P Griffin (Giant Asia) +40:16
49 S Gallagher (Giant Asia) +44:6
