Eddie Dunbar is on the Irish team on the Rás and heading into hillier terrain that should suit him on roads he knows very well (Photo: Shane Stokes)
As the 2016 An Post Rás goes into the harder stages, young Irish hope Eddie Dunbar said he has coped quite well so far.
Only riding the Rás because he missed the Tour of California after breaking his collar bone on a training ride crash last month, Dunbar made the winning escape on Sunday's stage 1.
He was also in the yellow jersey group just seconds behind winner and runner-up - Eoin Morton of UCD-Fitzcycles.ie and Bryan McCrystal of ASEA-Wheelworx - on yesterday's stage 2 into Charleville.
It means the 19-year-old is now well placed overall; in 6th place and one of seven riders just 13 seconds down on yellow jersey Taco van der Hoorn (Join-S De Rijke).
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Dunbar rides for the Axeon Hagens Berman Continental trade team based in the US but is riding for the Irish team in the Rás.
It means he would have some very good support around him - in the shape of Matt Teggart, Mark Downey, Ronan McLaughlin and Chris McGlinchey - if he got himself into a really strong position when the gaps get bigger.
Tuesday's stage 3; perhaps one for Dunbar, though he is putting no pressure on himself.
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But it is a team with a number of cards to play and Dunbar may also be called up to pay a support role depending on how the next few days goes.
He insists he has no set plans and will take the race as it comes.
Irish team manager David McCann has already said the team is a development set-up and that learning from this week is the key objective.
Tuesday's stage 3 takes the field from Charleville to Dingle and with the cat 1 climb of Conor Pass crested just before the descent into the finish.
And while he is putting himself under no pressure, it is a stage where Dunbar may shine if this is to be his week.
But he says he knows the next few stages very well, adding they are local training roads for him as the race hits lumpy stages, mainly in Cork and Kerry, for the next four days.
We caught up with him on the race to discuss his chances and how things are going generally.
Eddie Dunbar on the Rás heading into hillier territory
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