Daniel McLay explained
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 .[3] His first season as a professional was 2015, racing for French pro-continental and 2014 Tour de France wildcard outfit . 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.[4]
Career
Junior career
Born 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,[5] competing in the criterium and road race events.[6] He says [7] 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.
McLay was selected to represent Britain at the Junior European Cyclo-cross Championships in 2008, where he finished last.[8]
In 2009, McLay became a member of British Cycling's Olympic Academy.[9] 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.[10]
In 2010 he became World Champion in the Junior World Madison Track Championships, with Simon Yates.[11]
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.
Professional career
Bretagne–Séché Environnement (2015–17)
He signed for the professional continental team for the 2015 season.[12] He won his first professional victory in Stage 3 of La Tropicale Amissa Bongo.[13] In the first UCI World Tour race of his career, Paris–Nice, McLay came eighth in stage 5.[14]
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.[15] His second win came a month later in the Grand Prix de la Somme, beating Nacer Bouhanni into 2nd place.[16] 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.[17] After another two top 10 finishes, McLay finished on the podium on Stage 6 behind Mark Cavendish and Marcel Kittel.[18]
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.[19]
EF Education First–Drapac (2018–19)
After his Tour de l'Eurométropole win, it was announced that McLay would join the WorldTour peloton by signing with for the 2018 season.[20]
Major results
Road
- 2010
National Junior Championships
1st Road race
2nd Time trial
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 Overall Ronde van Oost-Vlaanderen
1st Stage 2
Tour de Normandie
1st Points classification
1st Stage 3
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 ClassicGrand Tour general classification results timeline
Legend| — | Did not compete |
|---|
| DNF | Did not finish | |
|---|
Track
- 2008
1st Scratch, National Junior Championships
- 2009
National Junior Championships
1st Madison (with George Atkins)
1st Points race
2nd Kilo
3rd Individual pursuit
3rd Scratch
3rd Madison, UEC European Junior Championships (with Sam Harrison)
- 2010
UCI World Junior Championships
1st Madison (with Simon Yates)
2nd Team pursuit
National Junior Championships
1st Scratch
2nd Individual pursuit
2nd Madison, National Championships (with Sam Harrison)Cyclo-cross
- 2008–2009
3rd National Junior Championships
- 2009–2010
3rd Junior BredeneNotes and References
- News: Franck Bonnamour et Romain Le Roux avec Arkéa-Samsic en 2020. fr. Franck Bonnamour and Romain Le Roux with Arkéa-Samsic in 2020. . Pro Cycling Breizh. 14 October 2019. 11 January 2020. 11 January 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200111133352/https://www.team-arkea-samsic.fr/franck-bonnamour-romain-roux-arkea-samsic-2020/. dead.
- Web site: Team Arkea - Samsic. UCI.org. Union Cycliste Internationale. 7 January 2021. https://archive.today/20210107032912/https://www.uci.org/road/teams/TeamDetail/15261/1001277/280. 7 January 2021.
- Web site: Arkéa–B&B Hotels. UCI. 14 January 2024.
- Web site: 2016 > 103rd Tour de France > Startlist . 30 June 2016. ProCyclingStats.
- Web site: Daniel McLay . 2007 European Youth Olympic Festival . 15 December 2009 .
- Web site: Cyclist Rides to Golden Glory . 2007 European Youth Olympic Festival . 25 July 2007 . 15 December 2009 . 22 January 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110122213919/http://www.olympics.org.uk/eyof07/news.aspx?NE=2019 . dead .
- Web site: Daniel McLay . 2014 Cycling Weekly . 18 January 2015.
- Web site: European Championships Cyclocross — Hoogstraten, Junior Men . Bart Hazen . Daily Peloton . 11 January 2008 . 15 December 2009 . 23 February 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120223151839/http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=15924 . dead .
- Web site: Great Britain Cycling Team Rider Biographies . British Cycling . 15 December 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20091212004039/http://new.britishcycling.org.uk/gbcyclingteam/article/Gbrst_gb-cyclingteam-Great-Britain-Cycling-Team-Rider-Biographies--0 . 12 December 2009 . dead .
- News: Eising rises above the rest. Cyclingnews.com. Immediate Media Company. Brecht. Decaluwé. 31 January 2009. 27 November 2016.
- News: Leicestershire's Dan McLay strikes gold in world junior track meeting. Leicester Mercury. Trinity Mirror. 18 August 2010. 27 November 2016.
- Web site: Archived copy . 13 October 2014 . 20 October 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141020235311/http://bretagne-seche-environnement.fr/daniel-mclay-neo-pro-de-plus-chez-bretagne-seche-environnement-en-2015/ . dead .
- Web site: Cycling: Dan McLay shows his sprinting speed and opens his winning account in Africa . . 18 February 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150219015350/http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Cycling-Dan-McLay-shows-sprinting-speed-opens/story-26047551-detail/story.html . 19 February 2015 . dead .
- Web site: Paris – Nice 2015 – Stage 5 . ProCyclingStats . 13 March 2015.
- Web site: Dan McLay's sprint to win GP de Denain was incredible (video). . 14 April 2016 . 2 July 2016.
- Web site: In-form cyclist Dan McLay seals second win on the road . . 2 July 2015 .
- Web site: Tour de France: Sepulveda and McLay named in Fortuneo-Vital Concept team . . 28 June 2016 . 2 July 2016.
- Web site: Tour de France:Cavendish wins stage 6 . . 18 July 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180729005852/http://www.cyclingnews.com/tour-de-france/stage-6/results/ . 29 July 2018 . dead .
- Web site: Watch: Early celebration allows Dan McLay to clinch Belgian race at the last possible moment . Robertshaw . Henry . 2 October 2017 . . 2 October 2017 . 4 August 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200804000310/https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/watch-dan-mclays-win-tour-de-leurometropole-clinched-last-possible-moment-353444 . dead .
- News: Dan McLay to make step up to WorldTour level as he signs for EF Education First-Drapac . Robertshaw . Henry . 2 October 2017 . Cycling Weekly. 2 October 2017.
