Olympian and Rás winner David McCann will manage the Irish national team at the An Post Rás but has put absolutely no pressure on any rider to deliver results. The Belfast man has stressed the essential thing from his point of view is that the riders learn from the experience.
By Brian Canty
David McCann has said learning how to ride the An Post Rás is the goal of the Irish team this week - and that is far more important than getting results.
The multiple stage winner of the race will manage the men in green with a strong line-up that includes Rás Mumhan winner Christopher McGlinchey, Matt Teggart, Eddie Dunbar, Mark Downey and team captain Ronan McLaughlin.
“They’re five very good guys and hopefully they can work together,” said the Belfast man.
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“It’s always a beautiful race but it’s not that simple; it’s a very good learning race.
“There are harder races in Europe but for the level the guys are at it’s good.
“It’s about learning to race tactically and learning the structure of the race. This is why a lot of teams choose to come to it, because it’s a great learning opportunity.
“As long as they can go away after the week saying they’re better riders than they went in, that is progress.
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“They are all at different stages of their development and as long as they can learn something that’s all we’re after.”
McCann believes results can come, but won’t be stressed if they don’t.
“It’s a very good race, everyone in the team is capable of getting a fantastic result but that’s not what we’re after.
“It’s more about doing the process and doing everything right and letting what happens happen.
“It’s more about the guys racing as a team together. It’s quite a concentration race; you can’t finish right up there without being able to focus for 25 hours so it’ll be about them learning how to do that.
“They’ve all raced at quite a good level so they won’t be out of their depth at all but it is a technical race and hopefully they can learn and benefit for the future.”
As regards how he thinks the race will go he said; “The Rás is never really decided purely by legs; it’s always a tactical race, even the years where there are demanding hilly stages.
“It’s never the sole determinant of the result. It’s not that type of race.
“It’s similar from year to year in how it’s ridden; there are always some sections of small roads and tactical racing and that’ll be the case.”
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