Eddie Dunbar on winning big and the crucial period just ahead
Eddie Dunbar has had an excellent season to date with strong performances in stage races as well as one-day contests. He is maturing as a rider at a rate of knots. And he is now preparing himself for a massive six weeks which could define his season.
By Brian Canty
Eddie Dunbar has spoken about the highs and lows of the last few months which saw him win the biggest race of his career before losing a friend and teammate in a tragic crash.
The 20-year old is currently back home in Banteer, Cork, and on a break from racing after a hectic few months which saw him compete all over the continent.
His next appointment is the four-day Ronde de L’Isard, May 18th-21st, before he tackles the Baby Giro. It starts on June 9th and finishes on the 15th.
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“I just took a week off the bike to relax and get mentally and physically refreshed because the next six weeks are pretty busy,” he said.
The Giro is a big target and rightly so because for starters it has courses right up Dunbar’s street.
“There are nine stages, one double day which has a 16-kilometre time-trial," said the U23 TT national champion who has proven world class against the watch.
“The stages are difficult, proper Giro stages. There's nothing over 150k but that could still take 4-5 hours in Italy.”
His most recent battles have been in Italy where he contested three 1.2-ranked race.
He claimed a very impressive third in the GP Industria & Commercio as well as the climbers’ prize in the same race.
Eddie Dunbar was denied a big win in late April in a 1.2-ranked race in Italy called the GP Industria and Commercio. Nicola Conci got the verdict with Australian Jai Hindley pipping Dunbar for second.
“I think, compared to last year, I prefer the races," he said of his recent schedule. "But we were gutted to miss out on an invite for the Tour of California.
“To get a WorldTour race as an U23 team; it could have been nice. But that opens up other opportunities.
“Don’t get me wrong, maybe it’s a good thing and we get to do races like L’Isard and races like that. The programme is very good this year.”
Unquestionably, the Tour of Flanders where he soloed to victory, is the standout moment for him. The result really proved he’s now among best espoirs in the world.
“It was surreal, as I keep saying. It was about time because it was not only expected of me but I expected it of myself to win a big race at some stage.
“Obviously it turned out to be Flanders and it was an unbelievable feeling to win a race like that.
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“But it wasn’t like it was out of nowhere. I was pretty consistent all year leading up to it.
“I started in Portugal and I got two fifth places, I had a good race at Gent-Wevelgem too.
“The whole Irish team that day rode a good race. And the results didn’t show how well we rode. But we were just left a bit isolated in the final so that was a bit frustrating.
“At Le Triptyque I was second overall, had a really good race, the legs felt good. And I went into Flanders pretty confident in my form.
"I think it was just a matter of racing smart which is something I’m doing a lot more this year. It’s paying off, I listened to what I was told.”
Indeed, Dunbar has often been one of the early aggressors in races, only to pay for it later.
This time, he kept his aggression in check and pulled the trigger when he saw others fading.
“That’s the thing; I saw the top guys fighting at the front 10k in and I wasn’t up for that because I did it last year.
“After Le Triptyque I flew back home for four days and I actually missed the recon of Flanders.
“I decided not to do it as I wanted to go home and train on my own. I knew what I wanted and I saw my physio Colm (Crowley, FitnessWork) to make sure I was in the best shape possible.”
The late Chad Young was a good friend of Dunbar and his passing has robbed the team of a hugely positive and inspiring personality.
He exploded into tears on the roadside when he realised the magnitude of his win on that memorable Saturday.
But within weeks, the tears were of a very different kind when he awoke to the tragic news of his teammate Chad Young’s death.
Young crashed hard while descending on a stage of the Tour of the Gila. He would never recover from his injuries and Dunbar said his loss was like losing a classmate.
Eddie Dunbar on tragedy in the team
“I was on the team with him last year and got to know him quite well," said the young Irishman.
“We did a good few races together. It was a complete shock and it’s so hard to believe.
“It’s a bad thing to happen anyone but when you knew him and the atmosphere he brought... We were such a close-knit bunch, it’s like losing one of your classmates.
“He was a gentleman, he was juggling cycling and school and he was just so smart. It’s just a shame to see him go.
“He was going to be great and I send my deepest condolences to his family. It must be so hard for them."
Dunbar added with the races to come this season the team was determined to get results as a tribute to their tragic colleague.
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