Eddie Dunbar (Team Jayco AlUla) takes on the Tour de Romandie this week as his last build-up race towards the rapidly approaching Giro d'Italia, where he reached a career high 12 months ago.
As was the case last year, Dunbar's Giro preparation has been hit by a hand injury that resulted from an early season crash. However, the Cork climber has already been back in the peloton, at Itzulia Basque Country (2.UWT) earlier this month, and the coming week in Switzerland should whip him back into shape.
He will play a support role for team leader, Simon Yates, over the next six days, with the race getting underway today with a 2.28km prologue TT in Payerne. And as that is one of two TTs in six days of racing, that perhaps does not suit Dunbar, though the uphill finishes certainly should.
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The Irishman will get to test his climbing form properly for the first time on Thursday, when the racing finishes at Salvan-Les Marécottes, a 7.6km climb averaging 7.8 per cent gradient. Saturday's penultimate stage finishes on the longer climb of Leysin; some 12.8km, averaging six per cent.
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Luke Plapp is also in the Team Jayco AlUla line-up and he believes he can team up well with Yates and Dunbar for a top general classification result for the team.
"I’m really looking forward to Romandie and to be able to race with both Simon and Eddie," Plapp said. "All of us could be capable of a strong GC result so I think we can play off each other quite nicely.
"I’ve been in altitude since San Remo building towards both Romandie and the Giro so I’m looking forward to seeing how my shape is heading into the Giro.
"I think with the team we have on paper we are hoping to be right up there in the GC ranks and have a few cards to play.
"I believe the tour will come down to the 15km stage four TT, so that will definitely be a focus for myself. With Simon as a leader and myself and Eddie there to play a big roll of support and having some opportunities as well.”
