Eddie Dunbar sits in third wheel on stage seven of the Tour of Utah last weekend. The 20 year-old Corkman finished top 20 overall and said he learnt a lot from the experience. (Photo: Davey Wilson)
By Brian Canty
Eddie Dunbar finished the Tour of Utah 19th overall at the weekend and fourth in the young rider classification; results that mark more steady progress in his career.
He was in the escape that animated stage four and gauged his effort well all week, climbing with the best in the race while also helping teammates Adrian Costa and Tao Geoghegan Hart take 2nd and 12th overall.
“The results speak for themselves, it was a really good week, the spirit was good and the staff were all excellent,” he said of the week.
“Obviously the whole team rode unbelievably well; we’d four second places on stages, Adrian won the KOM jersey, the young rider classification, he was second overall, Tao was 12th overall.
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"Every rider got in the break at some point and it was just unfortunate for Greg (Daniel) to break his collar bone in that crash on stage three,” he added.
For Dunbar it was the first time he raced at altitude and after an arduous journey to get to the team base in Park City, Utah, he adapted well.
Eddie Dunbar and Adrien Costa congratulate one another on jobs very well done at the end of the Tour of Utah. The latter - still only 18 - was a brilliant 2nd overall to Lachlan Morton (Picture: Davey Wilson)
“It would have been nice to spend an extra week there (beforehand) but I felt better every day, that’s the biggest race I’ve done since Britain last year and I think I rode very well.
“I would have liked to have gone out a week earlier, just to adapt a bit better but the main thing is I learnt this year so I know how to approach it better next year.
“Being in the top 20 on GC is a good result so hopefully I can get into the top 10 next year.”
Racing against WorldTour riders is something he’s getting more used to as he progresses, and they held no fear for him in Utah.
Cannondale, BMC and Trek-Segafredo were all present but the young Banteer man was right up there on the hardest days.
“I was happy; positioning into the final climbs and stuff like that is the important thing,” he said.
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We don't know who is responsible for this but it's great to see; Eddie Dunbar having his name written on the road somewhere between Snowbasin and Snowbird in Utah (Photo: Davey Wilson)
“Sometimes you have guys who get to the front so they can fall back through the groups and not lose too much time which is a bit unnecessary sometimes, it’s just interfering with riders who want to ride for GC but that’s part of racing.
“The acceleration into the climbs is the thing that maybe caught me a little bit. That first 1 or 2k was where I was suffering.
“Normally I can hold a high power for a long period but I couldn’t hold that extra bit because of the altitude.
“It’s something you need to adjust to but once that 2k was over I could ride at a solid tempo and pass 20 guys on the climbs and find a group.
“I’d ride up to a group and find a guy to pace my effort off. The difference with WorldTour guys is they are used to that, week in week out. They have that extra gear the whole time.”
Clearly in good shape now, he was gutted to learn the European U23 road and time-trial championships were cancelled as he felt the hilly course in Nice would have really suited him.
Dunbar is very happy with his position and his role in Axeon Hagens Berman. With up to four of the squad set to move to the World Tour in 2017 they are certainly doing something right. He is in no hurry to move up a level himself and is quite content to stay put next year (Picture: Davey Wilson)
And as Ireland hasn’t qualified a team for the Tour de l’Avenir he has to wait three weeks before he races again, at the Tour of Alberta.
“I was really mad when I heard the Euros were off," he said. “Obviously they have to do it for security reasons and I understand that.
“I don’t think, if it does go ahead somewhere else, the course will be as good for me as the one in Nice was. It really suited me but that’s the way it is.
“I’m not racing now for three weeks so I’ll prepare at home now for that,” he said of the Tour of Alberta.
As for 2017 and where he'll be, the likelihood is he will stay with Axeon Hagens Berman.
Even though the Aquablue team look set to join the Pro-Conti ranks Dunbar reckons he could be better off staying put for now.
“In the future it would be nice to be part of an Irish professional Team but at the moment I’m grateful to be part of such a talented team with Axeon Hagens Berman and hopefully our success will continue in 2017.”
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