“Winning the Youth Tour came after months of preparation; I’m thrilled”

Dunbar (in yellow, front left) took a great win at the Errigal International Youth Tour (Photo: www.rallyimage.com)

By Brian Canty

He’s another product of Kanturk Cycling Club’s production line and 16-year-old Eddie Dunbar prefers to dispense the credit to those around him rather than bask in the limelight of his own success.

Dunbar, riding for the Munster Development team, won the inaugural Errigal International Youth Tour in Donegal at the weekend by a staggering 2 minutes and 21 seconds. In the U16 main event he beat riders from the Irish FBD Talent Team as well as teams from Spain, Scotland, South Africa and the Isle of Man.

The Banteer native, who has just completed his Junior Cert, had special praise for one man; his coach and mentor Dan Curtin.
“He’s the main man,” lauded Dunbar.

“I noticed he doesn’t get half enough credit. He deserves so much more than he gets, he does everything; up and down the country with us every weekend for races. There’s nothing he won’t do for us. I wouldn’t have done it without him. I’m lucky I have someone like him because he is one of the best in Ireland.”

Indeed, Curtin has produced some of the best talents in the country over the last two decades; from Dunbar’s neighbour Paidi O’Brien, to Barry Meade to his own son Willie as well as the Lynch’s - Denis and Daniel.

Nowhere else has produced such a line of talented youngsters and Dunbar appears to be headed in the same direction. His win in Donegal at the weekend merely underlines his potential.

“This is the race we were training for,” he says.

”Dan had me on a special training programme. I can’t say what though! I’d cycle into him in the shop in Kanturk and we’d be chatting away. He put me on a very good training programme. It was our target to win the Youth Tour and I’ve been training for the last six or seven months and at least now it has paid off.”

But he was quick to praise his team mates also – Stephen Shanahan, Kevin Hayes and Dylan O’Brien.

“They’re the best team mates and friends I could ever have. I don’t think anyone has better friends. They’re brilliant and I couldn’t have done it without them.”

Asked if he’d prefer to be on the FBD Talent Team, Dunbar interrupts: “No way. I prefer the Munster team. We’d do anything to help each other and it’s an all-for-one attitude. Danny has made us believe that and it paid off because we won the prize for the best team as well.”

Indeed, this is Curtin’s third time masterminding a tour win in such an underage set-up, having done so in the past with Meade and UK-based professional Philip Lavery.

The seeds for Dunbar’s win were sewn on the opening stage when he attacked on the first of five (9km) laps and though he was soon brought back, he went again on lap two and got away with South African Stefan Debod (Mr Price).

However, on the climb Dunbar dropped him and soloed to the line by over two minutes.

The remainder of the race was about protecting his lead and with O’Brien, Shanahan and Hayes pulling back everything, Dunbar could enjoy the final criterium stage.

“I’m over the moon,” he said of the win.

“It was my first time in Donegal. I’ve done it in Kerry in the Youth Tour there so it was nice to win it in Donegal as well.”
Next up is the Nationals at the end of the month.

Meanwhile, Kanturk CC has announced it will be officially opening its Velo Park in the town on September 16th. It will be officially titled the Kanturk CC Credit Union Velo Park.

Errigal Youth International Tour, Churchill, Donegal

U16 Race

Stage 3 Results
1 M Downey (FBD Ireland TT) + 3secs
2 E Dunbar (Munster Development) +2secs
3 H McCarrick (Edinburgh CC Marie Curie) + 1sec
4 JC Jantjis (Mr Price CC) @4secs
5 F Ryan (Sorrento CC) @7sces
6 S Noon (Edinburgh CC Marie Curie) @s/t
7 C McAuley (Vo2 Development team) @s/t
8 I Venter (Mr Price CC) @s/t
9 A Swan (FBD Irekand TT) @8secs
10 D Long (Orwell Wheelers) @8sces.

GC after Stage 3

1 E Dunbar (Munster Development)
2 M Downey (FBD Irekand TT) @2mins 21secs
3 H McCarrick (Edinburgh CC Marie Curie) @2mins 40secs;
4 S Debod (Mr Price CC) @2mins 41secs;
5 M Teggart (FBD Ireland TT) @3mins 36secs;
6 F Ryan (Sorrento CC) @3mins 38secs;
7 A Swan (FBD Ireland TT) @3mins 42secs;
8 S Noon (Edinburgh CC Marie Curie) @3mins 43secs;
9 I Venter (Mr Price CC) @3mins 45secs;
10 D Long (Orwell Wheelers) @3mins 45secs;

KOH Classification after Stage 3
1 M Downey (FBD Ireland TT) 52pts
2 E Dunbar (Munster Development) 51pts
3 H McCarrick (Edinburgh CC Marie Curie) 10pts.

U14 Race

Stage 4 Criterium Result
1 M Draper (Royal London 360 Isle of Man) 31mins 58secs 3”
2 J Gray (Cycling Ulster) 2”
3 M Moss (Royal London 360 Isle of Man) 1”
4 M Barnet (Edinburgh RC Marie Curie)
5 A Stenson (Lucan Cycling Club)
6 F Gillies (Peebles CC)
7 O Dudley (Royal London 360 Isle of Man)
8 E Holden (Royal London 360 Isle of Man)
9 S Black (Royal London 360 Isle of Man)
10 E Bothwick (Edinburgh RC Marie Curie)

Final General Classification after stage 4
1 J Gray (Cycling Ulster)
2 M Draper (Royal London 360 Isle of Man) @7secs
3 M Barnet (Edinburgh RC Marie Curie) @43secs
4 O Dudley (Royal London 360 Isle of Man) @55”
5 A Stenson (Lucan Cycling RC) @57”
6 G Martin (Discovery junior CC) @1min 19”
7 R Twomey (Cork County CC) @1min 29”
8 E Holden (Royal London 360 isle of Man) @ 1min 47”
9 A Gornall (Cycle Sport Pendle) @1min 48secs”
10 A Kearney (Iverk produce Carrick Wheelers) @ 2mins.

Category 2A Final Overall (First year U14)
1 R Twomey (Cork County CC)
2 E Holden (Royal London 360 IOM) @18”
3 D Corkery (Kanturk CC) @3mins 2secs
4 E Bothwick (Edinburgh CC Marie Curie) @11mins 25secs
5 D Mulholland (Johnston Jets) @11mins 51secs
6 L Cooke (Limerick CC) @12mins 41secs

Female (Overall)
1 E Holden (Royal London 360 IOM)
2 A Gornall (cycle sport Pendle) @1sec
3 F Gillies (Pebbles CC) @7mins 23secs.

KOH Competition (Overall)
1 J Gray (Cycling Ulster) 34
2 M Barnet (Edinburgh RC Marie Curie) 17
3 M Draper (Royal London 360 Isle of Man) 12

POINTS Competition (Overall)
1 J Gray (Cycling Ulster) 20
2 M Draper (Royal London 360 Isle of Man) 14
O Dudley (Royal London 360 Isle of Man) 8

U12 Race

Category 3 Race stage 4
1 Sean Flynn EDINBURGH RC/MARIE CURIE RC .10'14"      3"
2 William Draper ROYAL LONDON 360 IOM .10'14"      2"
3 PJ Doogan ERRIGAL CC .10'14"      1"
4 Conor Gallagher CASTLEBAR TFRHAT .10'14"
5 Aaron Doherty COVEY WHEELERS .10'18"   4"
6 Eleanor Davies ROYAL LONDON 360 IOM .10'18"   4"
7 Roisin Carter NEENAN TRAVEL 2020 TT .10'18"   4"
8 Tom Dore O LEARY STONE .10'18"   4"
9 Ciara Doogan NEENAN TRAVEL 2020 TT .10'18"   4"
10 Shenna McKiverigan NEENAN TRAVEL 2020 TT .10'18"   4"

Final General Classification
1 Sean Flynn EDINBURGH RC/MARIE CURIE RC .44'59"
2 PJ Doogan ERRIGAL CC .45'01"   2"
3 William Draper ROYAL LONDON 360 IOM .45'20"   21"
4 Ciara Doogan NEENAN TRAVEL 2020 TT .45'21"   22"
5 Aaron Doherty COVEY WHEELERS .45'57"   58"
6 Tom Dore O LEARY STONE .46'05"   1'06"
7 Conor Gallagher CASTLEBAR TFRHAT .46'25"   1'26"
8 Roisin Carter NEENAN TRAVEL 2020 TT .46'57"   1'58"
9 Evan O Donnell LIMERICK CC .47'40"   2'41"
10 Shenna McKiverigan NEENAN TRAVEL 2020 TT .47'43"   2'44"

Category 3A (first year U12) Stage 4 result
1 Dylan Traynor ERRIGAL CC 2 .48'08"
2 Ellie Park GLASGOW RIDERS WOSCA .48'36" 28"
3 Will Ryan BRAY WHEELERS .48'41" 33"

Female Competition Stage 4  Result
1 Ciara Doogan NEENAN TRAVEL 2020 TT .45'21"
2 Roisin Carter NEENAN TRAVEL 2020 TT .46'57"   1'36"
3 Shenna McKiverigan NEENAN TRAVEL 2020 TT .47'43"   2'22"

Overall KOH Competition
1 PJ Doogan ERRIGAL CC 18
2 Sean Flynn EDINBURGH RC/MARIE CURIE RC 10
3 William Draper ROYAL LONDON 360 IOM 5