Eddie Dunbar has faced serious challenges over the last eight months. But he has been back training hard and returns to top level racing this weekend. It will be his first competitive outing for new team Aqua Blue Sport (Photo: Karen M Edwards)
Irish cyclist Eddie Dunbar returns to racing
Having last raced in full health eight months ago, Eddie Dunbar returns to competition this weekend.
The 21-year-old is part of the Aqua Blue Sport line-up for Trofeo Laigueglia (1.HC) in Italy on Sunday.
It starts and finishes in Laigueglia and takes the rides over a near 200km course.
Sunday's race has tended to split up significantly in the past. And it should be a good early season lung opener for Dunbar.
Lasse Norman Hansen is also riding, though the rest of the Aqua Blue Sport line-up was not clear at the time of writing.
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Hansen won a stage and held the yellow jersey at the recent Herald Sun Tour. The Dane will go into Sunday’s contest seeking a result.
But for Dunbar the expectations will not be as high. The race will be one of the biggest he has ever done.
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And as he is returning from serious injury there is no pressure on him to perform.
The race features just one WorldTour team, in the shape of Ag2r-La Mondiale. But the field is packed with top ProContinental squads and an Italian national team.
Eddie Dunbar enjoyed a strong early season last year; culminating in winning the U23 Tour of Flanders in early April.
However, he would crash in June on the opening stage of the Baby Giro in Italy.
He suffered concussion but did not realise how serious it was at the time. As a result, he went on to ride the Irish national championships in late June.
Called it quits at Euro Champs
Dunbar also competed in Velothon Wales in July. He then went to the European Championships in Denmark in August.
After riding the TT there his concussion hit him hard. Consequently he decided not to ride the road race a few days later.
Moreover, soon after returning to Ireland he announced he would not race again in 2017.
However, he had already been snapped up by Aqua Blue Sport for this year.
And having rested and then trained hard in recent months, Eddie Dunbar gets his tenure with his new team underway this weekend.
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