When the biggest general classification selection was made on the summit finish of Giro d'Italia stage 16 today, Ireland's Eddie Dunbar (Team Jayco AlUla) made the cut. Just three other GC men were with him; João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates), Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) and Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma).
With Almeida and Thomas went ahead, taking 1st and 2nd on the stage, Roglič and Dunbar were next on the road; 3rd and 4th at 25 seconds, with the next group 51 further seconds back. The first proper shake-up had happened and Dunbar was among the four strongest, a big turn around on his Ineos Grenadiers days when he couldn't even get to the start line of a Grand Tour.
"It's not a victory or anything it's fourth place," was Dunbar's assessment talking to journalists at the top of the climb. "You know you've to take that into account as well. I'm still off the top guys, G and Almeida but it's a positive day.
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"I mean, this is all I've ever wanted, to just have an opportunity in a race like this. And thankfully the team, Jayco AlUla, put belief in me and we've worked hard these last six months to get into shape for this race. And I can just thank them for this opportunity really. It's only my second Grand Tour but I think I'm learning quick and what happened, we were prepared for it."
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After Almeida attacked with 6km to go, Dunbar momentarily faltered. But when Thomas then went after Almeida, that left Roglič behind, being paced by his team mate Kuss. The Jumbo Visma duo were just ahead of Dunbar on the road and so the Irishman squeezed on the pedals and got up to them.
He planted himself on their back wheels and stayed there. When Kuss fell away, Dunbar tracked Roglič all the way to the line; a result that moved him up to 5th overall. He said afterwards he was not concerned after his moment of crisis with about 5km to go.
"It's a three week race, you have to pace yourself," he said. "I know my limits, I had to back off a bit there and I think that little moment where the race might have went, I battled my way back to Roglic and Kuss. I sat in then, Kuss rode a really good tempo to limit the losses. Primoz then brought the gap back a bit at the finish."
Now 5th overall, the 4th placed man Damiano Caruso (Bahrain Victorious) is only 13 seconds ahead of Dunbar. And base on today's evidence, with Dunbar dropping Caruso, the Irishman is likely to pick off the Italian and go into 4th at some point. The top three are over three minutes ahead of him but Dunbar may yet push up onto the podium on this race.
