Eddie Dunbar has expressed his hope that completing his first team altitude camp can add an extra dimension to his form as he seeks to build on his excellent Giro d'Italia with the second phase of his season just about to commence.
The Irishman, now riding for Team Jayco AlUla, is ultimately aiming towards La Vuelta, which starts in a month's time. However, he will lead his team into other races before then and will go into those events with a new status in the pro peloton after his climbing displays and 7th overall at the Giro in May.
Though he is in his sixth season as a pro rider, and also rode for three seasons at Continental level, he said the altitude camp he has just completed was a first for him.
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How now goes into the Tour de Pologne, starting on Saturday, in a team that also includes Tour of Austria stage winner Matteo Sobrero. Dunbar will the team's best change of a general classification result and with three of the seven stages featuring climbing - and two of those looking like general classification days - it is a course that can suit him, though he would ideally like longer climbs.
“My training has been good, I’ve been in Andorra for three weeks at altitude, so I’m looking forward to seeing how that affects me over the next few weeks and in Poland," he said. "It’s not something I’ve done in the past, but I think it’s something that could be valuable in the next races and the next part of the year.
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"There were a couple of guys up there, I was training with Callum (Scotson) and Lucas (Hamilton) quite a bit, so it was nice to have their company and come out of the camp feeling good and I’m looking forward to getting started again in Poland.
"I’m going into the race with an open mind, I obviously haven’t raced since the Giro and I’m coming in off a big training block, so I’m just going in and we’ll see how it is and how the race is.
"It’s not the most difficult Tour of Poland this year I don’t think, there’s four sprint stages, two GC stages and a TT, so I think a lot of it will come down to bonus seconds and the time trial. But I’m hoping that the hard days will be hard, and they can make a difference, but I think a lot will be decided in the TT this year.”
Jayco AlUla sports director Tristan Hoffman said the team would focus on the general classification with Dunbar and Sobrero and had Blake Quick for the sprints. "Many guys, including Blake have been at an altitude and he’s in good shape, so we will go with him for the three opportunities for a sprint finish," he said.
"Like last year, there is a time trial and Matteo was inside the top-10 back then, so his goal this year will be on the TT stage and a strong GC performance. Eddie showed already at the Giro he is ready to lead the team and he’s coming into this race really prepared, so he will also give the overall a shot.”
