Eddie Dunbar shows the strain on his face as he crosses the line runner-up at the end of the National Road Race Championships (Photo by Jerry Rafferty. Homepage photo by Sean Rowe)
By Shane Stokes
One of the best junior riders Ireland has ever produced; Eddie Dunbar’s aggressive, ambitious approach to his debut senior season has further convinced many that a big pro career is in store.
That feeling was reinforced yesterday when the rider, who won’t turn 19 years old until September, finished a superb second out of 102 starters in the senior road race championship in Omagh, Co Tyrone.
Dunbar was one of the driving forces in the day’s break and was the only one able to stick with Damien Shaw when the 30 year old went away on the penultimate lap.
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While Shaw eventually won the battle for the senior title, Dunbar took a hugely impressive silver medal and secured gold in the under 23 championship.
It was a display which impressed many, not least because his thin climber’s build was in no way advantaged by a course best described as flat to rolling.
Speaking after the finish, the NFTO rider told stickybottle that he recognised the performance had a particular significance because of his age. Still, even so, he wanted more.
“I am not really happy unless I win,” he said, showing his competitiveness and ambition.
“I know I won the under 23 title but I always like to aim bigger.
“My main focus today was trying to get gold in the elite. But I am only 18 years of age and there is plenty more to come. The strongest man won today.”
The winning move pushed ahead very early on. It seemed like a gamble, but he explained that it was better to be out front than chasing.
Dunbar receives his U23 champion's jersey and gold medal, with 2nd placed Daniel Stewart and Sean Hahessy who was 3rd (Photo: Sean Rowe)
“It was very, very messy at the start. There were a lot of attacks, obviously.
“The course was very flat, although it was a bit rolly on the back roads. It was just so aggressive.
“It was more than likely that a break was going to go early because of the aggressiveness of the race.
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“It was on that straight bit of road that the move went. There was a slight crosswind. That split things into a group of 14 or 15 and it went from there.”
Plenty of big names missed out, including defending champion Ryan Mullen (An Post Chainreaction), four-time race winner Matt Brammeier (MTN Qhubeka) and Martyn Irvine (Madison Genesis).
They chased hard with several others, but Dunbar said that he didn’t panic.
“I was talking to lads in the group and I just said to them, ‘look, if you want to get a result from this we can’t let the bigger guys across.’
“In fairness to them they all worked really well. We put our heads down, we worked well and they didn’t get back up. It worked out well for us.
“Then, towards the end, I think myself and Damien were the strongest in the group behind. He went and I followed just after the feed zone.
“In fairness to Damien he did an outstanding ride today and he deserved to win.
“He was the strongest man on the day. I had no problem coming second to him. In fact, I am actually happy for him.
“I couldn’t compete with him on the last lap. He was just too strong. But I have plenty more years to get that title. So fair play to Damien.”
Dunbar has returned from a fractured collarbone sustained on the opening stage of the Tour of Yorkshire on May 1st and managed to build the shape he showed on Sunday.
He plans to keep working hard, having three targets in mind.
“I am going to do Ride London and then on to the Tour of Britain,” he said, listing two of his biggest goals for the season.
“Then hopefully the world championships at the end of the year. It will be a busy next few months.
“But I will take a good break in the winter and hopefully come back next year stronger. Fingers crossed.”
Few who watched him yesterday would doubt that. His trajectory is clearly an upwards one and, providing he stays motivated and healthy, a very big career is on the horizon.
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