Irish cyclist Eddie Dunbar has expressed his delight at having signed for Team Ineos for three more years.
The
23-year-old joined the WorldTour outfit for the last weeks of the 2018 season
and has enjoyed a very strong first full season in the top flight this year.
He was on
a one-year contract, which was to expire at the end of this year.
But
having ridden so strongly and instantly gelled with the team, the relationship
has now become a long-term one.
Dunbar
said the stability his new contract offers is something he is very pleased
with.
“I was
over the moon when I found out it was a three-year deal and I was going to be
able to stay and learn from the best riders in the world,” he said.
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“I am
delighted to receive the opportunity to develop in this atmosphere,” he said of
a team with leaders such as Egan Bernal, Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas and, from
next January, Richard Carapaz.
However,
as well as those established riders who have won Grand Tours, Team Ineos is
also developing a young batch of men that Eddie Dunbar is very much amongst.
He
believes he is in the right place to develop as much as he can over the coming
three years.
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“Having
three years gives you time to work with the team, come up with a long-term plan
to see what works for you, and the chance to grow with the team,” he said.
“We
have a lot of young guys in the team that have all impressed this year, with
Pavel (Sivakov) doing really well at the Giro, Egan (Bernal) winning the Tour
de France and Chris (Lawless) winning Tour de Yorkshire.
“There’s been a lot of standout performances from young riders and that’s a very positive thing going forwards.
“The period starting from Tour de Yorkshire is where I felt I was going really well, through to Route de l’Occitanie where I performed well, and, of course, the Giro.
“The
fact I was able to help the team so much as I could and finish as strongly as I
did was massively important for me.
“And
at Route de l’Occitanie I came close to winning the opening stage which gave me
lot of confidence.”
Looking
ahead, he had a clear of view of where he wanted to race most.
“I’d
like to go back and take on the Ardennes again as they’re definitely races I’d
like to improve on,” said the Irish climber.
“Of
course, it would be good to ride another Grand Tour, whether it be the Giro,
Tour de France or Vuelta, I don’t mind.
“But
it would be great to get another opportunity in one of those races.”
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