Eddie Dunbar's return to racing is set to take a bit longer than he and his team hoped, with news today that the Irish rider fractured a bone in his hand during his crash in Spain last week.
The 26-year-old was riding his first race for Team Jayco AlUla when he crashed last week on the opening stage of Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana (2.Pro). While he got back on his bike and finished stage 1, he did not start the following day due to persistent pain in his hand.
Initial X-rays were clear for broken bones, though further medical examinations have now detected a small fracture to his hand as a result of the crash.
And while Dunbar was hoping to return to action at UAE Tour, starting on February 20th, his team has confirmed to stickybottle he will not ride that race. Instead, he faces a longer period on the sidelines until his hand heals.
Advertisement
Related News
"Eddie Dunbar has undergone further tests for pain in his hand with an X-ray revealing a small fracture," the team said in a brief statement today. "As a result, he will now take some time to rest and recover over the coming weeks, get well soon Eddie."
Crashing in his first race was a blow to Dunbar, who has moved to Team Jayco AlUla to take up a team leader role after 4½ seasons with Team Sky/Ineos Grenadiers. His early season schedule this year was all designed for him to peak in time for the Giro d'Italia in May, an event he is designated team leader for.
Missing a second race is a bigger problem for Dunbar, though he still has time to heal and recover his condition before the Giro. The next race he was scheduled to ride was Itzulia Basque Country (2.UWT), starting on April 3rd.
However, the fact he has missed Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, and will now also miss UAE Team, raises the prospect of another race being found for him before Itzulia Basque Country, once his hand has recovered. If he could return to racing and get some competitive miles under his belt before riding Itzulia Basque Country it would help him make up lost ground ahead of the Giro, starting on May 6th.
