'As a kid you don't dream of racing the Tour, you dream of winning'
Young British rider Dan McLay says that while he's happy to be riding the Tour for the first time, he's aiming for stage victory
Dan McLay aims large this July even if it is his first Tour de France. He says, he dreamed of winning at the race when he was a boy, not just racing. Now, leading the sprints for French team Fortuneo-Vital Concept he would be happy with simply a sprint win.
The 24-year-old Brit already placed top ten in the first three sprints, taking seventh on Tuesday when the stage raced into Limoges.
>>> Dan McLay hoping to survive to Paris on Tour de France debut
"Yeah of course," he said when asked if he was thrilled to be racing his first Tour. "But as a kid you don't dream of racing, you dream of winning. It would be nice to get a stage in the bag some day in the next few years."
McLay could already do so this year. The French professional continental team, he joined last year in his first year as a professional, identified six opportunities in the Tour for him. McLay explained that Thursday's stage six is already a chance.
Watch: Tour de France stage four highlights
"I'm happy with my level. I'll keep trying to get up there," McLay said as he readied his Look bike for the stage five start.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
"I partly didn't expect the consistency that I've had. You don't always expect to come through that five to one kilometre to go bit. I'm just a bit disappointed with how the last one kilometre has been going. But I'm learning every day. Just need to be a bit more confident and go long. When the door opens just go."
McLay won the Madison world title as a junior with Simon Yates and placed second in the junior Paris-Roubaix behind Belgian Jasper Stuyven. He struggled to get a contact, but found a place through 2017 with the French outfit last year known as Bretagne - Séché Environnement. This season, he already won the GP de Denain and the GP de la Somme.
Fortuneo gave him a chance to race the Tour de France early into his career when other WorldTour teams might not have. He paid them back immediately with places and WorldTour points. He took ninth twice behind Mark Cavendish's wins and yesterday behind Marcel Kittel, seventh.
"Yesterday, I was on and off the pedals and it kills your legs. So a bit more confidence," he said.
"I just need more confidence in my own legs. I'm not giving them [the stars] more space than anyone else. Obviously, it's a bit difficult when you don't have a full train but I'm not complaining about that. That's just the way it is. We're getting better as a team – we've not had much time together. But I'm a bit on my own at the end."
McLay, who said he is around 1.86m and 80kg (please put in your terms), plans to push through the mountains as far as he can to have a chance in Paris. He wants to fulfil his dream, maybe not to win the Tour, but at least to have a chance in a stage victory.
"We'll see how the legs go," he added. "I don't think there'll be a day when I go back to the hotel and say 'I don't want to continue.'"
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Gregor Brown is an experienced cycling journalist, based in Florence, Italy. He has covered races all over the world for over a decade - following the Giro, Tour de France, and every major race since 2006. His love of cycling began with freestyle and BMX, before the 1998 Tour de France led him to a deep appreciation of the road racing season.
-
Shimano RC703 road shoe review: sleek, stiff and robust
Shimano's second-tier offering combines a rigid carbon sole with handy Boa dials and protective toe caps
By Sam Gupta Published
-
Cycling computers are getting inexplicably big - how did it come to this?
The Wahoo Elemnt Ace is just the latest phone-sized bike computer, and it’s getting a bit silly
By Adam Becket Published
-
Extra security meant Bern's hosting of Tour de France cost £500,000 more than expected
Tour de France cost Swiss capital of Bern more that it thought it would
By Jack Elton-Walters Published
-
Vincenzo Nibali slams critics of his Tour de France performance
Vincenzo Nibali says he's 'not a robot' and can't be expected to compete with those specifically targeting the Tour overall
By Gregor Brown Published
-
Tony Martin reveals why he had to abandon Tour de France on Champs Élysées
Tony Martin made it all the way to final circuits in Paris on stage 21 before being forced to pull out of Tour de France
By Richard Windsor Published
-
This is what it took to fuel Chris Froome and Team Sky through the Tour de France
Team Sky and Chris Froome ate a combined total of 1,000 energy gels and more than 500 bars during their 2016 Tour de France success.
By Richard Windsor Published
-
Chris Froome wins 2016 Tour de France as André Greipel takes final stage
Chris Froome takes his third Tour de France victory in Paris on Sunday as André Greipel takes the final sprint showdown on the Champs Élysées
By Nigel Wynn Published
-
The moments that won Chris Froome the 2016 Tour de France
We look back at the key points from the 2016 Tour de France that won it for Chris Froome
By Stephen Puddicombe Published
-
Rival teams praise 'super' Sky at the Tour de France
Chris Froome did not win the Tour de France on his own, but was backed by eight Sky team-mates to make an unbeatable combination that is the envy of rivals
By Gregor Brown Published
-
Chris Froome and Peter Sagan's special bikes for Tour de France final stage
A yellow Pinarello and a green Specialized for Chris Froome and Peter Sagan to mark their classification wins in the 2016 Tour de France
By Nigel Wynn Published