Golden Moment: Eddie Dunbar realises he has won the national title, but runner-up Michael O'Loughlin gave as good as he got every inch of the way on an epic day in Blarney (Photo: Dave Coleman - Dc Images)
By Brian Canty
Eddie Dunbar was swarmed by well wishers at the finish line of the National Junior Road Race Championships in Blarney today, but when the O’Leary’s Stone Kanturk man finally got a chance to draw breath he ranked his win as the second best of his career.
It was a thrilling race from start to finish today; a real war of attrition.
And when it came to the finish, the strongest two were left staring each other down as the line approached.
Runner-up Michael O’Loughlin, who was also second in the time trial yesterday, led out the sprint. But Dunbar just about had the legs to come around him for the gold medal.
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“I’m over the moon, it hasn’t sunk in yet,” Dunbar said.
“It’s a race I wanted to win, especially after yesterday. I was happy to get third in the time trial but my mentality is; ‘I always want to be first’. That’s just the way I am. And today I wanted to make up for it.
“I thought Dylan (O’Brien) would probably win today but we just had a chat on the road and we just attacked. I was being marked by Mark Downey but I got away once and I saw Michael (O’Loughlin) coming across and the lads behind were looking at each other,” he explain of how he got out of the bunch to go in pursuit of the early escape.
As they finished: Eventual winner Eddie Dunbar leads runner-up Michael O'Loughlin and bronze medal revelation Jamie Blanchfield (Photo: Karen M Edwards)
“I knew we wouldn’t be caught because myself and Michael are a serious combination together. I thought I might get the better of him on the hill.
“But in fairness to him, he stuck with me and I was very worried about him in the sprint. I was full sure he’d beat me but there was something inside me today that told me I wasn’t going to lose.
“I was attacking out the road to shake him because I wanted to come in on my own to prove I could. Michael took the race to me; he stayed with me when I put on the pressure. I’m delighted to get the medal.”
When he saw there were three of the Nicolas Roche Performance Team in the escape, Dunbar knew he had to shake them as soon as possible.
“I wasn’t going to commit if they wouldn’t ride as well. So I put on the pace going up the hill once and when I looked back it was down to five. I knew it’d be myself and Michael, we worked very well together.
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“Coming into the line then we were just saying to each other ‘let the best man win’. We said no hard feelings, fair is fair and we’re still the best of friends and that’s the main thing.
“I was out in Belgium lately and getting podium, podium, podium because I was leading it out and they were jumping me on the line. So I just said I was sick of that happening to me.
“I said I don’t care if I get caught by the fellas behind, there’s only one medal I want. It was a great race and very special. This is only second to the Junior Tour,” he said of the stage race he has won twice.
He’ll go to the Junior Tour of Wales next weekend before turning his attention to the World Championships in Spain.
“There’s a lot of people in for selection,” Dunbar said of the Worlds, which he rode last year as a first-year junior along with Dylan Foley and Mark Downey.
“I have it in my head who I think is the strongest team, I’d be very happy if that’s the team,” he added.
“Psychologically it’s very important to have a good atmosphere at a major championships in an Irish team and the fact we’ve five riders; there’s a massive chance we can win the gold medal.
“I’d love to have Michael and Dylan because I’ve known them since I started cycling. There’s no reason why they can’t mix it up with the best in the world. If I can, they surely can too.”
Tight Finish, By Dave Coleman - Dc Images
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