Eddie Dunbar has already taken final yellow in the junior tours of Ireland, above, and Wales. Now Paddy Power is offering odds on his chances of Tour de France stage wins and overall victory (Photo: Stephen McMahon - Sportsfile)
He may only be in the first months of competing abroad with a pro team, but there's no doubt Eddie Dunbar has already caused a stir.
The first-year U23 rider has been the man of the race with his aggression in some of the events he's ridden in the UK for his NFTO Pro Cycling team, getting onto the podium in the process.
And when it came to the opening round of the British Cycling Elite Road Series last month in the shape of the 115 mile Chorley Grand Prix; Dunbar was 5th and helped team mate Ian Bibby to victory.
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The Irish teenager competed in round 2 of the series - which was once known as the British Premier Calendar - Dunbar was once again to the fore.
He was 6th on the opening stage of the Tour of the Reservoir. And on a brutal day with snow and sleet, he was 6th again on stage 2 to move up to 4th on the final standings.
Eddie Dunbar on the attack out front up the final climb more 100 miles into the first British Cycling Elite Road Series of the year. His aggression decided the outcome (Photo: Larry Hickmott – VeloUK.net)
Just three days later he made his debut for the Irish U23 team at the Nations Cup, taking in Le Cote de Picarde in France.
He spent 100km on his own in a solo breakaway before being caught by a chase group and only being recaptured by the peloton with around 15km remaining in the 180km event.
He secured the sprint competition, climbers' prize and most aggressive rider on the day.
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He's said in the past he wants to win the Tour de France one day and won't rest as he works towards that goal.
Irish bookmaker Paddy Power has clearly been paying attention to Dunbar (on stickybottle - Ed) and is now offering odds on his chances in the Tour de France in the years ahead.
Dunbar with team mate Steele Von Hoff at the recent launch in London of a deal between the riders' NFTO Pro Cycling team and Aberdeen Asset Management. It is an arrangement that may take the squad from the Continental ranks to ProContinental as early as next season (Photo: Tom Shaw for Aberdeen Asset Management)
It's not offering prices on whether Dunbar will ever ride the Tour, which it seems to believe is a foregone conclusion.
Instead it’s giving punters the chance to back how he might do in the race.
The 11/8 odds on a stage win are not exactly generous but are a mark of how Dunbar has already won admirers outside the cycling world.
An outright win in the next 10 years is 33/1 and 20/1 for any time in his career.
- Eddie Dunbar to win a Tour de France stage at anytime of his career - 11/8
- Eddie Dunbar to win a Tour de France stage up to 2025 included - 5/2
- Eddie Dunbar to win the Tour de France General Classification Outright at anytime of his career - 20/1
- Eddie Dunbar to win the Tour de France General Classification Outright up to 2025 included - 33/1
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