Eddie Dunbar was taken on by Team Jayco AlUla this year because it believed he could become a Grand Tour contender. And today, on Giro d'Italia stage 16, he confirmed his team's confidence in him. It is no exaggeration to say Dunbar put in the ride of his life; climbing with some of the biggest Grand Tour riders in the world on the 203km road to the summit of Monte Bondone.
While there are still hard stages to come, Dunbar's challenge has now become a top 5 general classification ride, not a top 10. And, depending on what the remainder of this race throws up, it is not impossible that he may finish on the podium in Rome on Sunday.
As Dunbar was having the kind of day that may define the rest of his career - cementing his place as a Grand Tour team leader and a contender - compatriot Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) was in the breakaway again. The 22-year-old hoovered up climbing points and now leads the climbers' classification after a day when the two Irishmen on the race really made their mark.
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For Dunbar, today was confirmation of his abilities tinged with vindication. He had spent more than four seasons with Team Sky/Ineos Grenadiers and could never seem to work his way into the team's Grand Tour plans. But today he showed not only was he good enough to ride the Grand Tours for the British squad, he has the ability to contend to win.
Today, after the peloton was trimmed back to a select group on the final climb, Jay Vine went to the front and put in a serious shift for UAE Team Emirates team mate, and 4th placed overall this morning, João Almeida. Once Vine had done this thing, the select group was down to five. Dunbar and Almeida were there, along with Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers), Primož Roglič and Sepp Kuss (both Jumbo-Visma).
Their group was swelled to six after Dunbar's team mate, Filippo Zana, hung in to work on the front after being dropped from the early breakaway. However, when Zana fell away after a brilliant effort, Almeida attacked solo with 6km to go and that move eventually split the group.
After making his move and riding clear, Kuss hit the front in a bid to hold Almeida. However, Thomas soon jumped across to the lone leader, as Dunbar was struggling at the back and losing the wheel. But the Irishman then latched onto the back of Kuss and Roglič and stayed there.
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Up front, Almeida put-sprinted Thomas for stage victory - and bonus seconds. Then 25 seconds elapsed before Roglič and Dunbar finished in 3rd and 4th. Most of the other top 10 contenders were in a group some 51 seconds down on Dunbar. Barring an implosion, which now seems unlikely, Dunbar is set for a top five ride, which would be an amazing result for him.
Thomas now goes back in the maglia rosa after the man who wore it today, Bruno Armirail (Groupama-FDJ), was dropped on the final climb and lost 4:24. Thomas has an 18-second advantage over Almeida in the general standings, with Roglič in 3rd at 29 seconds and then Damiano Caruso (Bahrain Victorious) at 2:50.
Then comes Dunbar; now 5th overall at 3:03 but highly fancied to drop Caruso again and take at least 4th place in the final general classification, maybe more. Ben Healy finished in 41st today, some 14:43 down on the winner, but with now the climbers' jersey to show for his efforts, as well as his stage 8 victory.
More to come.
