By Shane Stokes
Starting the day as local hero and one of the big favourites, Eddie Dunbar ended the Irish road race championships drained after becoming ill during the event and fading.
The Banteer rider was a member of the Kanturk Cycling Club for many years and had worked hard to try to be in his best shape possible for what was effectively his home event. He looked strong for much of the contest, particularly when he dropped the bunch and soloed across to the day’s key break, only to get into difficulty on the penultimate lap.
Speaking to stickybottle, Dunbar talked about what had happened.
“I was perfectly healthy before the race,” he said. “I think… obviously when you know the course and you know the nature of it, maybe I just over-fuelled a bit. I was really thinking of the finish. And maybe I just should have paid a bit more attention to it.
Advertisement
“When I caught the guys, when I went across on Cordal, what I would say is the hardest section of the race, I felt super good, really confident. And even when I was working with them I was really confident.
“But I got sick, everything came up, and then I couldn’t eat or drink. Of course in a race like that, after an effort like that, you pay the price.
“But that is no excuse. I should have paid probably more attention to what I was doing in the race. Yeah, it is disappointing, obviously being at home in front of friends and family, but look... There were obviously stronger guys than me (on Sunday), and smarter guys.”
Dunbar grew up close to Kanturk and the course went very close to his home village of Banteer. He would dearly have loved to have won the race, which looked to be suited to his climbing talents. He accepted that those factors had added to the pressure he was under.
“I think all week I was trying to do everything I could to be the best I could,” he explained. “Maybe sometimes the best decision is just to chill out and relax. I mean, last year I went into the race after three weeks off with Covid and I almost felt better, you know? It felt like there was no pressure.
“But look, sometimes you just have to learn how to deal with pressure. That is all part of learning.”
"I love racing at home, I love the Irish scene"
Dunbar has had a heavy season thus far, doing 37 days of high-quality racing and also plenty of training. He took two breakthrough victories, winning the general classification of the Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali in March and then racing to overall success in the Tour de Hongrie in May.
He lacked a little zest in the Critérium du Dauphiné and needs a little downtime soon. Still, the chance to try to win the nationals—and particularly on home ground—was too good to miss. It ultimately didn’t work out due to his stomach issues, but he gave it a very good shot.
“It is a one day race, everything has to go right,” he said. “I haven’t had a break since Christmas either, so I knew I wasn’t at my 100 percent coming into the race. But again, that’s not an excuse, you have to plan ahead. I did what I could in training, but as I said I wasn’t the normal guy I am today, maybe. But take nothing away from the other guys, they were better than me.”
Rory Townsend played a big part in establishing the early break and, after Dunbar bridged across on a tough climbing section, continued to work hard to fend off those chasing behind. He impressed Dunbar with how he rode.
“Rory was flying. In the break he was really strong on the flat,” he said. “He was really pushing. And I think he rode a really smart race. Fair play to him. I think he was the strongest guy in the end there today. I think that clearly showed. So fair play to him of course, that was a tough race.”
Related News
Apart from Dunbar, Ben Healy was the only other WorldTour rider in the race. He too was closely watched and while he missed the key move, he too did a huge amount of work behind in trying to get across. Dunbar was also quick to praise him.
“Healy was really active early on,” he said. “And he looked really strong. But it was just a dead course. It was just hard all day. I think there was pressure there because even when I dropped back to the other group, it was clear to see that Ben was the one driving the pace.
“But again fair play to him, you can’t win the race if you are behind the other two [the leaders Townsend and Cormac McGeough (Wildlife Generation Pro Cycling). So he wanted to get to the front, he did what he could to get to the front. I am not sure where he finished in the end, but fair play to him. He rode the race well.”
Dunbar and Healy both got into difficulty in the closing section of the race. Dunbar likely had hunger knock from vomiting and not being able to eat and drink, and ran out of gas as the kilometres went on. He slipped back from the chase group close to the finish and while Healy also went south, he was able to recover and take third.
Dunbar could have stopped but kept riding, placing seventh in the end. He ultimately wasn’t in the medals, but had perhaps the loudest cheers of the day coming up the finishing straight. The local supporters could see the bigger picture, realising that the race might not have worked out the way he had hoped, but that he is regardless a superb athlete and a fine ambassador for Cork cycling and the sport in general.
Asked about that reaction, Dunbar appeared briefly to be a little overwhelmed.
“It is incredible,” he said, pausing as the emotion registered. “When you just said that there it kind of hit home a bit. It would have been nice to finish it off today, but it wasn’t meant to be. The national champs are important to me and I love racing at home. I love the Irish racing scene.
“But look, one day I will be national champion. I always say that, but today wasn’t my day.”
Hoping for Vuelta start
Dunbar is expected to move teams in 2023, with BikeExchange-Jayco the likely destination. He should have far more leadership opportunities there, and could see his career momentum further grow if all goes to plan. Before then, he’ll try to land more victories this season.
His two wins thus far have been the overall classification in stage races, and he’d dearly love to either take a one day race, or even a stage in a multi-day event.
Raising his hands coming across the finish line is something he wants to experience, and while Sunday didn’t see that happen, he should have other chances this year.
First though, he’s looking forward to unwinding a little.
“I have some time off now, probably ten days to two weeks. And I need it, I do need it,” he said. “Because normally after the Giro you take a break and reset, and I didn’t get to do that. Thankfully I won Hungary, but that’s the period where a guy, if he is not doing the Giro, you rest and get ready for the Dauphiné or a Suisse. And I didn’t get that opportunity this year.
“But that’s the way it is, that is the way the world is sometimes. I will see how it goes next year.”
He’ll miss the upcoming Tour de France, but is there a chance he will be ride the Vuelta a España instead?
“I’d like to, yes, but we will see how that goes,” he stated. “It all depends on how they go in the Tour. That will decide our Vuelta team. So we will see.”
