Bellaghy cyclist Conor McCann is hoping to grab his second chance

Fracturing two vertebrate almost robbed Conor McCann of his cycling career before it got fully off the ground. After his road recovery, diligent preparation and an impressive set of results, the lure of France came calling.

BELLAGHY cyclist Conor McCann is living the dream. The 19-year-old spent Easter back on the Killyberry Road but his cycling career has taken him to France – the home of cycling.

Home for McCann now is just 200 kilometres south-east of Paris and the town of Troyes, where the former St Mary’s Magherafelt student now cycles for the local team UVCA Troyes. It’s an opportunity too good to miss

“They have a really good history of producing top riders,” outlined McCann, who hopes to follow in the footsteps of Adam Yates and Nacer Bouhanni, both of whom have graduated to the professional rankings.

“My coach Stephen Gallagher put me in touch with them; they were impressed with my list of results and offered me a place for the year.”

Like all top sport stars, the infant steps were taken far away from the bright lights. At ten years of age McCann started ‘cycling a bit’ and by the time he had turned 16 cycling was number one. It was time to take a more serious approach.

Conor’s father Chris, himself an accomplished cyclist, had a stint cycling in France before returning home to setup Inspired Cycling.

“I started off in the East Tyrone CC when Dad was in the club. When I started taking it more serious at U16 I rode for Digdeep/Inspired Cycling,” explained McCann.

The pathway followed on to Nicolas Roche’s NRPT and Asea-Wheelworx teams as a junior. McCann’s progress didn’t go unnoticed by the selectors of the Ulster and Ireland squads. But a spanner was about to be thrown into the works.

THE SETBACK

Two years ago, June 2015, McCann’s determination to pursue a cycling career was given the ultimate test. Heading to a race in Holland, along with his father Chris they were involved in a car crash.

“I fractured two vertebrae (T12 and L1), they were unstable fractures so required spinal fusion surgery to basically join three vertebrae together with metal plates,” recalls McCann off the most testing time of his career.

The bike was hung up in the shed for three months as he embarked on an alternative road to recovery: “I had to do rehabilitation and stretching every day to try to get back to normal, I'll always have to do this to try to keep it at bay and not get too stiff or sore.”

After a tough winter of training, the following March and the start of the racing season saw a stronger and fitter McCann reporting to the start line. The comeback trail wasn’t without suffering and pain.

”It got really sore and I had to back right off with my exercises, there were a lot of low points but I think it's made me a lot stronger mentally. I know how to suffer on the bike properly now,” offered McCann.

It was worth it as 2016 saw light at the end of the tunnel as the results flooded in, some of which sit among his best achievements.

“I think my second place at the National Junior Road Race Championships last year is my best result. Representing Ireland at the UCI Nations Cup in Germany last year was really nice as well,” McCann added.

“Then winning the Bann Valley Classic at home last year was a big personal achievement for me because it was my first win after being off the bike injured for a long time with the fractured vertebrae.”

His first international win followed in November, taking first place in a criterium in Perth, Australia.

The results put McCann on the map and now he is preparing for further glories this season. Troyes is the perfect base: “It's a pretty flat area but the actual town is pretty nice. I'm just riding the bike over there full time but I'm still trying to learn French and how to cook in my spare time,” he joked.

“I really want to do well in the national championships as an U23 this year - that's the main target. Then other stage races like the Tour of the North and the Tour of Ulster - they are big aims. Hopefully I can get some good results abroad this year too.”

At last month’s Tour of the North, McCann got top 20 finishes on all the stages, before finishing 14th overall after his first time entering the race. It was a competitive field.

“There were riders from England, Wales, Scotland, Belgium and France racing as well as all the Irish”, explained McCann who will stay at home until the Tour of Ulster – again it will be his debut. Then it’s back to Europe to pursue the next step of his racing career.

It’s a long way from his first experience of racing. At the age of 12, in 2010 McCann recalls his first taste of competitive cycling.

“I didn’t do a great time but I remember smiling the whole way through it, which is completely the wrong way to ride a time trial but it was a good start.”

McCann’s targets are different now but those who went before him in the UVCA Troyes team have shown the way. Nacer Bouhanni went on to win stages of the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España. Adam Yates finished fourth overall in the 2016 Tour De France.

It’s time to dream.