Dunbar and O'Loughlin lift Ireland to record high in UCI rankings

Two good lads: Eddie Dunbar and Michael O'Loughlin scored the points that have lifted Ireland to a record high in the end of season UCI rankings. Dunbar seen here just edging out O'Loughlin for the national road race crown in Cork in August (Photo: Dc Images)

Eddie Dunbar may have put in his most dominant performances at the Junior Tour of Ireland and its equivalent in Wales this year, where he took stage wins and the final yellow jerseys; but his rides further afield have lifted Ireland into a record high position in the end of season UCI rankings.

In the junior Nations Cup, which is the only world ranking for juniors, Ireland has finished in 14th place of the 37 countries that scored points in the competition throughout the year.

The competition awarded points based on finishing positions in 13 different races through the year, including the European and world championships.

Ireland scored 43 points, with Dunbar notching the full Irish tally apart from the eight points scored by Michael O’Loughlin for his world class 8th place in the junior time trial at the World Road Championships in Spain last month.

Dunbar on his way to his first Nations Cup points in France back in May (Photo: Andréa Quémener)

At the Trofeo Karlsberg in Germany in June, a three-stage race featuring some of the best national teams in the world; Dunbar was beaten to the yellow jersey only by a Slovenian rider who was subsequently found positive for EPO at the time.

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Dunbar got into the winning breakaways on the first two road stages of the race and on the stage 3 time trial he was 7th, lifting him to 2nd overall . He maintained that placing when the final stage finished in a bunch sprint.

While his ride in Germany was arguably his best result of the season, Dunbar had already begun scoring Nations Cup points earlier in the year.

He rode Le Trophée Centre Morbihan stage race in France back in May, guesting for the Nicolas Roche Performance Team along with O’Leary Stone Kanturk club mate and fellow junior international Dylan O’Brien.

Dunbar was 3rd on the final stage after going on the attack and only being caught by an Italian and Belgian rider who he had earlier pulled clear with in an escape.

The Cork 18-year-old has just signed for the UK-based NFTO team for 2015, which will be his first season at U23 level.

O'Loughlin, who started out with the famous Carrick Wheelers club but rode for the Nicolas Roche squad this year, will be a junior rider again next year.

UCI Junior Nations Cup, final rankings 2014