Eddie Dunbar (Team Jayco AlUla) may be best known for his stage racing abilities but today the Irishman got a great chance of a big result in Il Lombardia, only to see it slip away very quickly.
Though Dunbar was off the front for 160km, as he continues his fine late season, Archie Ryan (EF Education-EasyPost) adopted a wait and see approach. Ryan stayed with the big guns back in the ever-reducing peloton and eventually finished 17th; a very strong result in just his second monument.
The 28-year-old was part of a large breakaway group that went clear after an intense battle in the first section of the race, only to build a lead that reached almost five minutes at its maximum; Dunbar looking strong on the 11.4km Selvino climb as he jumped across to the move.
Advertisement
Eventually 22 riders would form at the front and though the group was a very large one, it cooperated well for much of the time, giving themselves a real chance of making it all the way, or perhaps only being caught by the very best from the peloton.
Though 200km remained in the final monument of the season when the breakaway was forming, they soon pulled out an advantage of over two minutes, and from there it continued to increase.
Though the UAE Team Emirates squad of eventual race winner, Tadej Pogačar, enjoyed a very strong day out, they looked under pressure for a long time in trying to contain the breakaway.
Bahrain Victorious had three riders in the move and several other teams had two, including Visma-Lease a Bike, DSM, Ineos Grenadiers, FDJ, Alpecin and Movistar. Despite the fact Dunbar was alone, he contributed to the work and looked like he was on a great day. Considering his recent performances in La Vuelta, it looked like a great chance.
However, though the breakaway's lead hit 4:30 with about 100km completed, and then nudged higher, UAE Team Emirates then began turning the screw back in the bunch. The gap to the escapees stopped growing and then began to nudge back.
By the time the Colma di Sormano climb - 12.9km at 6.4 per cent - began, with 200km completed, the breakaway's advantage was just over one minute as the breakaway had faded and the cooperation had ebbed away; more than two minutes coming off the lead in about 20km.
Related News
The lead group then began to split on the Colma di Sormano, with Dunbar initially among the strongest three or four to pull away. However, there was then a regrouping on the climb among the escapees, as Adam Yates led the UAE Team Emirates train behind.
Eventually, those efforts mopped up the breakaway men and with just under 50km to go, and still on the final climb, Pogačar attacked and rode solo to victory.
Remco Evenepoel (Soudal QuickStep) and Enric Mas (Movistar) tried to go after him. And though Evenepoel would soon be in pursuit of the leader on his own, Pogačar won at a canter; by 3:16 from Evenepoel.
Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) then attacked from the chasing group that formed behind the winner and runner-up on the road; the Italian taking an impressive podium finish, at 4:31. He was just three seconds ahead of the group sprinting for 4th, led in by Ion Izagirre (Cofidis) and Mas.
Archie Ryan (EF Education-EasyPost), who was in the very small peloton as it was splitting when Pogačar attacked, placed 17th at 7:28. Dunbar was 30th, at 8:56, while Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) placed 49th at 12:21, clearly not on his best day.
FOUR IN A ROW! ?
Tadej Pogačar wins his fourth Il Lombardia in a row and claims his 25th win of the 2024 season! ? pic.twitter.com/OcAmeZkiZQ
— Eurosport (@eurosport) October 12, 2024
