Eddie Dunbar is being looked to by Team Ineos as a general classification contender going into the final stage at the Tour de Yorkshire.
Chris Lawless (Team Ineos) was 2nd into Scarborough yesterday and took the race lead in the process.
However, he is equal on time with the man who beat him to the line; Alexander Kamp (Riwal Readynez).
After the stage Lawless expressed his disappointment with not winning. Furthermore, he downplayed his chances of holding the jersey into Leeds today; a testing 175km stage.
He added the team had three men for the general classification that they made sure to look after yesterday.
Chris Froome was one of those contenders, of course. However, so was Owain Doull and Ireland's 22-year-old rising star Dunbar.
One concern among Irish fans when Dunbar went to Team Sky, now Team Ineos, was the number of opportunities he would get - or not get - to aim for his own results.
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But when he showed form at the Tour de le Provence back in February, the team rode for him and he finished 7th overall.
He also put in a strong attack at the close of the final stage but was brought back, with David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ), in the final kilometre.
Now again in Yorkshire, according to Lawless, Dunbar is also enjoying team protection with a view to a possible result.
"I’m a bit gutted about not winning the stage, but
with a new team sponsor it’s always nice to be leading the race,” Lawless said
after yesterday’s stage 3.
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“The main focus today was keeping Doull, Froomey and
Eddie in GC contention,” he added, confirming who the key riders are for the
overall.
“Me taking the race lead is a bit of a bonus and second
on the stage. But in my mind I was really looking for first.”
Asked about his own chances on Sunday’s stage from
Halifax to Leeds, he said he was uncertain but felt it would be too hard for
him.
"My climbing has improved this year but I think tomorrow might be a bit far of a stretch. We’ll see as I seem to be going alright,” he said.
There are five short sharp climbs on Sunday's stage 4; the last crested just over 20km from the finish.
However, it’s grippy all the way and there are a few uncategorised bumps just before the finish.
It is definitely a stage that suits Dunbar, who is just 10 seconds down overall in 9th place.
He also knows the final stage terrain well, having been 4th on the stage last year and finished 8th overall.
Dunbar attacked eventual overall winner Greg Van Avermaet and though he couldn’t get clear he rode out of his skin.
That performance 12 months ago, and the fact he has progressed so much since then, means Eddie Dunbar is a genuine contender for the title this time around.
Lawless and Kamp are 1st and 2nd overall on the same time heading into the last stage; some six seconds up on Van Avermaet.
And then comes a group of 12 riders, including Dunbar, all equal on time another four seconds back; Van Avermaet looking like the man to beat.
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