Eddie Dunbar has taken another excellent result; climbing well against quality opposition and proving one of the few riders able to split the race. Aqua Blue Sport manager Nicki Sørensen believes big things lay ahead for the 21-year-old (Photo: Karen M Edwards)
Nicki Sørensen comments on Irish cyclist Eddie Dunbar
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Having managed Eddie Dunbar to 4th place overall at the five-stage Baloise Belgium Tour (2.HC), Nicki Sørensen sang the Irishman’s praises.
The 21-year-old made the five-man winning breakaway on Saturday’s queen stage. He placed 5th on the stage and filled the same place in the general standings.
And when one of the riders ahead of him failed to finish the final stage on Sunday, Irish cyclist Eddie Dunbar moved up to 4th overall.
His directeur sportif Sørensen said Dunbar had a very bright future in such races.
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“Tactically we did really well,” he said of the queen stage. “We knew that it would be very, very important to be on the offensive in the first part of this race.
“And we got our two best climbers into the lead group which was perfect. Eddie and Mark (Christian) covered all of the moves together in the beginning.
“And then going into the – very tactical – finale, Eddie did really well on his own.
“I’m happy with how the entire team performed on this stage, and of course with how Eddie did.
“In time, he’s going to be unbeatable on a race like this.”
Dunbar said he was happy with his placing on that queen stage. But he also said he missed out in the golden kilometre.
There three sprints, each carrying time bonuses of three, two and one seconds for the first three each sprint.
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“If I feel like I can win a bike race, I go into the race and I race to win. I don’t go in with the intentions of getting a top five,” he said.
“I'm slightly disappointed but I did what I could today and fifth was the outcome.
“I was one of the only ones there who had the legs to make the race. And I tried to attack on the golden kilometre.
“I didn’t get away, but that led do the split that left five of us in the race.
“On that last climb I know Vanemdert was going to attack,” he said of Jelle Vanendert of Lotto Soudal.
He attacked the breakaway late on Saturday and won solo by 16 seconds from three of his fellow escapees.
Dunbar was just off the back of those three on the line; losing four seconds to them.
Jens Keukeleire was one of the three and was 2nd on the stage. That made it a 1-2 for Lotto-Soudal. He also took the race lead which he held on the final day.
Tried to pace finale
“I know that to respond to his acceleration would be too much after what I’d done so far,” Dunbar said of Vanemdert’s stage-winning attack.
“ I tried, but I knew my legs were going to go. So I just paced it, hoping the other guys would bring it back.
“But it was a numbers game after that – Lotto Soudal had the numbers, and they used them very well.
“It was a bit annoying because I got distanced by a few seconds coming into the last 300m.
“And if I had managed to stay with the guys I might have been top three on GC.
“That’s a bit frustrating but it is what it is. I tried out the road to win the race. But it didn’t work out and there will be plenty of other days.”
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