Attacking early and often; 17-year-old Eddie Dunbar wasn't afraid to go from the gun with fortune favouring the brave on a tough day in Wicklow (Photo: Brendan Slattery)
By Brian Canty
Eddie Dunbar continues to defy expectation and the latest chapter in his blossoming cycling career arrived today at the Shay Elliott Memorial in Wicklow where he finished runner-up to Damien Shaw in the showpiece event.
The O’Leary’s Stone Kanturk rider was one of the main protagonists on a miserable say and was in the crucial move that went away after around three kilometres and stayed out front for the remainder of the race.
Though the break would reach 16 riders, the Junior Tour of Ireland winner’s ferocious attacking on the brutally steep climb of Glenmalure whittled that down to two. He had just Shaw for company for almost 40 kilometres to the finish.
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“It was a weird kind of a day,” he said.
“The break just went straight away. There was myself, Paddy Clarke (Liquidworx-Fitscience), Stephen (Shanahan, Limerick CC) , (Dylan) Foley (Aquablue CC) and a couple of others.
“There was no attacks from behind and we just started riding and the bunch didn’t respond. We had 40 seconds before we knew it and a few got across and it went from there.”
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Some real firepower would eventually get up to the leaders, with the likes of Robin Kelly (Aquablue CC) and Greg Swinand (UCD CC) giving the break real strength – but plenty more missed it too. And Dunbar knew he could take full advantage.
“Around 20km before the climb of Glenmalure there was furious attacking with guys trying to get away. We hit the climb and I went through the bottom of it and Shaw came with me and did a serious turn.
“He had me under serious pressure. It was like trying to stay behind a motorbike.
“He took the KOH, but it was seriously hard to stay with him. There was a block headwind too but we had a gap of around 40 seconds at the top, just the two of us.
“So we just worked away together but his gears weren’t working. He was stuck in the 14 sprocket so I was delighted with that on the descent but not on the way up. I was doing as much as I could but he was unbelievably strong.
“At that point I was thinking I’d be delighted to stay with him, he was really flying. It would have taken a very, very strong rider to beat him.
“The distance caught me a bit; the last 10k I could feel it. I ate and drank plenty but the distance was a big factor. I knew Shaw had me beaten coming into the line, if I even tried to beat him he’d have killed me. He just rode away from me really.”
But given it is the first one-day race that Dunbar has ridden exclusively with the A1-A2 group his rider augers well for the rest of the season, which starts in Currow tomorrow for him at the John Drumm Cup but will also include international duty.
“I’m delighted, it’s one of the biggest races of the year and to be able to stay with Damien Shaw was brilliant,” he said.
“It was good to ride with someone like him; he’s probably the best in the country and unreal strong and honest. It’s a good sign that I’m where I’m at.”
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