Eddie Dunbar on his way to the National Junior Time Trial Championship win in Omagh, Co Tyrone, on Saturday. He said he knew he would be perhaps marked out of the road race on Sunday, giving the race against the clock 24 hours added significance for him (Photo: Paul Coyle)
By Brian Canty
Few tipped him for National Junior Time Trial Championship gold on Saturday, but Eddie Dunbar (O’Leary’s Stone Kanturk) knew himself he had a decent chance, if he felt good enough on the day.
The first-year junior said he felt he was going to be marked heavily in the road race title decider on Sunday, meaning taking gold against the watch the day before meant his weekend had been a success before the road race even got underway.
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Amazingly, he only went out on his TT bike for the first time properly last Wednesday when he borrowed it from Kevin Hayes of Ballymore CC.
“My first real spin on it was Wednesday,” Dunbar told stickybottle this morning.
“I had the same set-up as my road bike but the handlebars were the only things to get used to. I did a time-trial back to Killarney on Wednesday and I was grand then on Saturday up in Omagh.”.
“I knew I had a chance going into it. I knew I could win it; it was just about bringing the right legs. At the start my legs were killing me, like really sore.”
“But I got into it after a while, and then turned at the halfway point and I could see I was up on the boys. I knew the bigger lads would suffer into the headwind and I’m nice and small so I was a bit lower down.”
Dunbar had no heart rate monitor or speedometer and relied only on instinct but when he caught a rider who started four minutes ahead, he knew he would be there or thereabouts.
“I kind of knew I had done well. Danny (Curtin, his coach) was behind me in the car roaring the horn. I was given a few time gaps along the way and I knew with five kilometres to go I was up."
"That was it then, I just put my head down and drove for the line. I knew I had a medal, just a matter of what colour. I’m over the moon, absolutely delighted.”
“People couldn’t get over the fact I had won because I wasn’t even one of the favourites for it. But I went into it with the plan of doing well because Danny knew I wasn’t going to get anywhere in the road race. He trained me up for the time trial and it worked perfect.”
On the issue of Sunday's road race, he said: “We had a plan for Dylan O’Brien to go up the road in the road race because I knew they’d be watching me. So I kept attacking and got the lads tired and then Dylan went up the road. That was it then. They were all watching me but I just turned around and said ‘what do you expect me to do? I have a man up the road, why should I chase?’"
“The plan was for him to get a medal and he did so we were delighted. Dylan went and that was the race over then. There was a gap of 3:40 at one stage with three laps to go. In fairness, if anyone deserved a medal it was him and I’m delighted for him.”
Little wonder the aforementioned Curtin was so thrilled, having mentored both since they were racing U11.
“That was the big plan, since the course was announced, to get Dylan up the road,” said Curtin.
He added the plan had always been that Dunbar would target the TT, with O’Brien ending up “no more than two inches” off the road race gold yesterday.
“The plan was that Eddie do a bit of driving (in the road race) and try to get away for the first few laps, then sit in and let someone else make the split. We were hoping one of the Nicolas Roche (Performance Team) lads would go up the road, Shanahan and Dylan were to attack then and take a few more with him.”
“With 20 miles to go I said I’d take a bronze but he (O’Brien) was looking very fresh coming into the line. I drove up and told him to attack the rest so he did, and blew out two or three of them.”
“He blew out Fallon and (Ciaran) Campbell and two more. He got back on again but coming into the sprint he (Campbell) was blown again. So it left four of them in the sprint. Dylan kind of got caught between (Fintan Ryan and Danny Bruton) but just got there.”
“It’s a great achievement for him. I don’t give a shit where they finish as long as they cycle to the plan and do what they’re told. They can do no more after that.”
The duo will now turn their attentions to the Junior Tour of Wales this weekend where they will ride for the Munster team alongside Sean Hahessy and Stephen Shanahan.
Full Results of National Junior Time Trial Championships (40km)
Saturday, August 17th, promoted by Omagh Wheelers
|
Position |
First name | Surname | Club/Team |
Time |
|
Related News
1 |
Eddie | Dunbar | O’Leary Stone Kanturk |
54:48 |
|
2 |
Mark | Downey | NRPT Standard Life |
55:13 |
|
3 |
Sean | Hahessy | Iverk Produce Carrick Wheelers |
56:55 |
|
4 |
Stuart | Laverty | Ballymoney CC |
58:27 |
|
5 |
Matthew | Doyle | Jonge Renners Roeslare |
58:33 |
|
6 |
Dylan | Foley | NRPT Standard Life |
58:44 |
|
7 |
Cale | Coen | Castlebar CC |
59:23 |
|
8 |
Craig | McAuley | VO2 Development |
60:04 |
|
9 |
Thomas | Fallon | Willebord Wil Vooruit |
60:12 |
|
10 |
Harry | McComb | East Tyrone CC |
62:22 |
|
11 |
Henry | Cooke | Limerick CC |
62:40 |
|
12 |
David | Montgomery | XMTB McConvey Cycles |
63:33 |
