Daniel "Dan" McLay (born 3 January 1992) is a British racing cyclist, competing in road, track and cyclo-cross, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam Arkéa–B&B Hotels.[4] His first season as a professional was 2015, racing for French pro-continental and 2014 Tour de France wildcard outfit Bretagne–Séché Environnement. Primarily a sprinter, McLay is also competent in the Flemish racing scene and has a particular affinity to the Northern Classics. He was named in the start list for the 2016 Tour de France.[5]
 McLay, Nice, Paris-Nice, 2023. | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 3 January 1992 Wellington, New Zealand |
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) |
| Weight | 74 kg (163 lb; 11.7 st) |
| Team information | |
| Current team | Arkéa–B&B Hotels |
| Disciplines |
|
| Role | Rider |
| Rider type | Sprinter |
| Amateur teams | |
| 2008 | Leicestershire Road Club |
| 2009 | Univega.co.uk |
| 2011–2014 | Omega Pharma–Lotto Davo |
| Professional teams | |
| 2015–2017 | Bretagne–Séché Environnement |
| 2018–2019 | EF Education First–Drapac p/b Cannondale[1] |
| 2020– | Arkéa–Samsic[2][3] |
| Major wins | |
One-day races and Classics
| |
Career
editJunior career
editBorn in Wellington, New Zealand, McLay moved to the United Kingdom as an infant and was brought up in Leicester. McLay began cycling competitively at the age of six. Following his success as under 16 rider at the British National Track Championships, he represented Great Britain at the 2007 European Youth Olympic Festival,[6] competing in the criterium and road race events.[7] He says [8] that he was not very good at sports that require coordination as a school-boy and thus this fuelled his desire to continue competing in cycling.[citation needed]
McLay was selected to represent Britain at the Junior European Cyclo-cross Championships in 2008, where he finished last.[9]
In 2009, McLay became a member of British Cycling's Olympic Academy.[10] McLay went on to win the bronze medal in the Madison at the UEC European Track Championships with partner Sam Harrison. He also represented Great Britain at the 2009 Junior UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships.[11]
In 2010 he became World Champion in the Junior World Madison Track Championships, with Simon Yates.[12]
In 2014 he won a stage of the Tour de l'Avenir (English: The Tour of the Future). He also came seventh in Tour of Britain stages, a strong showing given that sprinters such as Mark Cavendish, Marcel Kittel, Mark Renshaw and Adam Blythe were also competing, although he said that seventh was not a representation of what he could have achieved.[citation needed]
Professional career
editBretagne–Séché Environnement (2015–17)
editHe signed for the Bretagne–Séché Environnement professional continental team for the 2015 season.[13] He won his first professional victory in Stage 3 of La Tropicale Amissa Bongo.[14] In the first UCI World Tour race of his career, Paris–Nice, McLay came eighth in stage 5.[15]
His second professional win came at the 2016 Grand Prix de Denain, a French 1.HC race, weaving his way from distance through the centre of the bunch to win it on the line.[16] His second win came a month later in the Grand Prix de la Somme, beating Nacer Bouhanni into 2nd place.[17] Due to those two wins, McLay was selected to take part in his first Tour de France, and finished in the Top 10 in his first sprint finish.[18] After another two top 10 finishes, McLay finished on the podium on Stage 6 behind Mark Cavendish and Marcel Kittel.[19]
In October 2017 McLay won the Tour de l'Eurométropole, pipping Anthony Turgis to the line after Turgis started his celebration early following a solo attack from the front group.[20]
EF Education First–Drapac (2018–19)
editAfter his Tour de l'Eurométropole win, it was announced that McLay would join the WorldTour peloton by signing with EF Education First–Drapac p/b Cannondale for the 2018 season.[21]
Major results
editRoad
edit- 2010
- National Junior Championships
- 1st
Road race
- 2nd Time trial
- 1st
- 1st
Overall Junior Tour of Wales
- 2nd Paris–Roubaix Juniors
- 6th Overall Driedaagse van Axel
- 1st Stage 1
- 2011
- 1st Grand Prix de Waregem
- 6th Dorpenomloop Rucphen
- 2012
- 1st De Drie Zustersteden
- 1st Grand Prix José Dubois
- 2nd Kernen Omloop Echt-Susteren
- 2013
- 2nd Dorpenomloop Rucphen
- 4th Time trial, National Under-23 Championships
- 4th Paris–Chauny
- 5th Ster van Zwolle
- 5th Textielprijs Vichte
- 6th Overall Paris–Arras Tour
- 2014
- 1st
- 1st Stage 2
- Tour de Normandie
- 1st
Points classification
- 1st Stage 3
- 1st
- 1st Stage 3 Tour de l'Avenir
- 2nd Dorpenomloop Rucphen
- 3rd Time trial, National Under-23 Championships
- 4th Overall Paris–Arras Tour
- 1st Stage 3
- 5th Grand Prix de la ville de Pérenchies
- 7th Paris–Tours Espoirs
- 10th Beaumont Trophy
- 2015 (1 pro win)
- 1st Otley Grand Prix
- 1st Stage 3 La Tropicale Amissa Bongo
- 6th Brussels Cycling Classic
- 7th Paris–Bourges
- 8th Overall Tour de Picardie
- 8th Velothon Berlin
- 2016 (2)
- 1st Grand Prix de Denain
- 1st Grand Prix de la Somme
- 4th Grand Prix d'Isbergues
- 5th Overall Tour de Picardie
- 10th Overall Boucles de la Mayenne
- 10th Scheldeprijs
- 2017 (2)
- 1st Tour de l'Eurométropole
- 1st Trofeo Playa de Palma
- 3rd Trofeo Felanitx–Ses Salines–Campos–Porreres
- 2018 (1)
- 1st Stage 4 Circuit de la Sarthe
- 2019 (2)
- 1st Stage 1 Herald Sun Tour
- 1st Stage 2 Tour of Guangxi
- 2020 (2)
- Volta a Portugal
- 1st Stages 5 & 6
- 8th Bretagne Classic
- 2021
- 2nd Ronde van Limburg
- 6th Paris–Bourges
- 7th Elfstedenronde
- 8th Overall Boucles de la Mayenne
- 9th Circuit de Wallonie
- 2022
- 4th Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne
- 4th Heistse Pijl
- 7th Scheldeprijs
- 2023
- 4th Paris–Chauny
- 10th Gent–Wevelgem
- 2024
- 10th Surf Coast Classic
Grand Tour general classification results timeline
edit| Grand Tour | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Has not contested during his career | |||||||||
| 170 | DNF | — | — | — | DNF | — | — | 136 | |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | 120 | — | — | |
| — | Did not compete |
|---|---|
| DNF | Did not finish |
Track
edit- 2008
- 1st
- 2009
- National Junior Championships
- 1st
- 1st
- 2nd Kilo
- 3rd Individual pursuit
- 3rd Scratch
- 1st
- 3rd
Madison, UEC European Junior Championships (with Sam Harrison)
- 2010
- UCI World Junior Championships
- 1st
Madison (with Simon Yates)
- 2nd
Team pursuit
- 1st
- National Junior Championships
- 1st
- 2nd Individual pursuit
- 1st
- 2nd Madison, National Championships (with Sam Harrison)
Cyclo-cross
edit- 2008–2009
- 3rd National Junior Championships
- 2009–2010
- 3rd Junior Bredene
References
edit- ^ "EF Education First Pro Cycling". Cyclingnews.com. Immediate Media Company. Archived from the original on 2 January 2019. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
- ^ "Franck Bonnamour et Romain Le Roux avec Arkéa-Samsic en 2020" [Franck Bonnamour and Romain Le Roux with Arkéa-Samsic in 2020]. Arkéa–Samsic (in French). Pro Cycling Breizh. 14 October 2019. Archived from the original on 11 January 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
- ^ "Team Arkea - Samsic". UCI.org. Union Cycliste Internationale. Archived from the original on 7 January 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
- ^ "Arkéa–B&B Hotels". UCI. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
- ^ "2016 > 103rd Tour de France > Startlist". ProCyclingStats. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
- ^ "Daniel McLay". 2007 European Youth Olympic Festival. Retrieved 15 December 2009.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Cyclist Rides to Golden Glory". 2007 European Youth Olympic Festival. 25 July 2007. Archived from the original on 22 January 2011. Retrieved 15 December 2009.
- ^ "Daniel McLay". 2014 Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
- ^ Bart Hazen (11 January 2008). "European Championships Cyclocross — Hoogstraten, Junior Men". Daily Peloton. Archived from the original on 23 February 2012. Retrieved 15 December 2009.
- ^ "Great Britain Cycling Team Rider Biographies". British Cycling. Archived from the original on 12 December 2009. Retrieved 15 December 2009.
- ^ Decaluwé, Brecht (31 January 2009). "Eising rises above the rest". Cyclingnews.com. Immediate Media Company. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
- ^ "Leicestershire's Dan McLay strikes gold in world junior track meeting". Leicester Mercury. Trinity Mirror. 18 August 2010. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 20 October 2014. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Cycling: Dan McLay shows his sprinting speed and opens his winning account in Africa". Leicester Mercury. Archived from the original on 19 February 2015. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
- ^ "Paris – Nice 2015 – Stage 5". ProCyclingStats. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
- ^ "Dan McLay's sprint to win GP de Denain was incredible (video)". Cycling Weekly. 14 April 2016. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
- ^ "In-form cyclist Dan McLay seals second win on the road". Leicester Mercury. Retrieved 2 July 2015.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Tour de France: Sepulveda and McLay named in Fortuneo-Vital Concept team". Cycling News. 28 June 2016. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
- ^ "Tour de France:Cavendish wins stage 6". Cycling News. Archived from the original on 29 July 2018. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
- ^ Robertshaw, Henry (2 October 2017). "Watch: Early celebration allows Dan McLay to clinch Belgian race at the last possible moment". Cycling Weekly. Archived from the original on 4 August 2020. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
- ^ Robertshaw, Henry (2 October 2017). "Dan McLay to make step up to WorldTour level as he signs for EF Education First-Drapac". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
External links
edit- Official page on Blogger
- Daniel McLay at UCI
- Daniel McLay at Cycling Archives (archived)
- Daniel McLay at ProCyclingStats
- Daniel McLay at CQ Ranking
- Daniel McLay at CycleBase