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Despite being on a course suited to the bigger men, Eddie Dunbar ripped around the 28.9-kilometre course in Doha, stopping the clock in an awesome time of 35:29, only 1:21 slower than the winner (Photo: Sirotti)
By Brian Canty
Eddie Dunbar has put in arguably the ride of his life on a time-trial bike today after finishing ninth in the U23 TT at the UCI World Championships in sun-scorched Doha, Qatar.
The 20-year-old Corkman was one of the last riders to roll down the ramp this afternoon, a sign of his standing.
He clocked a blisteringly fast time of 35:29:68, finishing just 1:21 behind gold medal winner Marco Mathis from Germany.
Also in action for Ireland today was Michael O’Loughlin (Team Wiggins).
The first-year espoir rider was off a couple of hours earlier than Dunbar and he would finish 45th, some 3:44 behind the winner.
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Michael O'Loughlin in action in Doha. He didn't do as well as he would have liked, but he'll be back and he still has the U23 road race to come (Photo: Sirotti)
O'Loughlin has himself taken a top 10 in the Worlds; in the junior TT two years ago.
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He has made huge progress this year riding for Team Wiggins but found the heat heavy going today, as did many of the riders.
But one man who coped very well indeed was the new U23 champion Mathis (though he was almost hit by an ambulance at one point).
He spent the entire afternoon in the hot-seat as he was the second rider off this morning and he watched as the challengers came and went, one by one.
Of those to push him closest after his staggering time of 34:08 was his fellow countryman Maximilian Schachmann (Klein Constantia) who will ride for World Tour team Etixx-QuickStep for the next two years.
The podium, left to right: Maximilian Schachmann, Marco Mathis and Miles Scotson (Photo: Sirotti)
Mathis, who rides at Continental level, was 18 seconds faster than Schachmann while taking bronze was Australian Miles Scotson who stopped the clock at 34:45, some 37 seconds slower than the winner.
Scotson, who is currently on a stagiaire for Belgian team Wanty Groupe Gobert was five seconds faster than one of the big favourites for the gold medal, the reigning European TT champion Lennard Kamna, also from Germany.
Dunbar went as high as eighth when he crossed the finish line after completing his 28.9-kilometre effort in 37 degree temperatures.
But Kamna went quicker to see the Axeon Hagens Berman man slip one place to ninth.
It follows a top six at the European Championships last month and it is a big step-up from the 38th he recorded on the same stage 12 months ago.
The fact Dunbar can now take top 10s at European and world level - especially on flat course like today - is an excellent sign.
If he can combined that with his climbing he can go a long way, and undoubtedly O'Loughlin is on the same level.
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