Irish rider Cormac Mcgeough has taken his second victory in a UCI-ranked race, proving best on a tough day in the saddle on the final stage of Vuelta Ciclista al Ecuador. The 27-year-old, US-based, rider has already won a stage at Tour de Beauce in Canada this season, as well as finishing 2nd overall at Rás Tailteann.
Competing for Mexican team Canel's Pro Cycling, and racing in high temperatures against mainly Ecuadorian and Colombian apposition, Mcgeough spent most of the final stage, over a hilly circuit in Ciudad Mitad del Mundo, on the attack.
He rode clear of the rest of the field - on the 116km race over 10 passages of the circuit - in a breakaway group of eight riders. They had a modest gap, of about 30 seconds, with four laps completed. However, they managed to gain on the main peloton - containing the classification leaders.
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They continued to work away and going into the final lapped they looked assured of staying away to fight it out for victory. However, Mcgeough did not wait for a final sprint, instead going solo and riding up the short climb to the finish for victory.
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On the line, a delighted Mcgeough was about 20 seconds up on Carlos Alberto Gutierrez (Banco Guayaquil-Ecuador), with Peru's Royner Navarro (Club AVV Perú) 3rd at about 30 seconds. Mcgeough had also placed 5th on the fourth, of six, stages. The race was won overall by Colombian Robinson Chalapud (Banco Guayaquil-Ecuador).
El irlandés Cormac #McGeough (Canel's-ZeroUno) se impuso en la sexta y final etapa de la Vuelta Ciclística al Ecuador en su edición 40, con triunfo en la clasificación general del colombiano Robinson #Chalapud (@TBG_EC), bicampeón de la ronda ecuatoriana. #CiclismoEC#VCE2023 pic.twitter.com/MDvbeGgEdD
— Marcelo Gallo O. (@Marcelo_GalloO) September 30, 2023
