Eddie Dunbar, centre, is moving closer to a big breakthrough win and he showed today in the Volta ao Alentejo that he has what it takes to be a GC threat here this week. He went up the road today in a three-man break and took a few time bonuses going over the climbs which moved him into the top five.
By Brian Canty
Eddie Dunbar produced another masterclass today at the Volta ao Alentejo in Portugal to climb into the top five on GC and take hold of the white jersey as best young rider.
The young Corkman was 53rd on today’s flat 173-kilometre stage from Monforte to Portel in the same time as stage winner Joahim Ariesen (Metec TKH Continental Cyclingteam p/b Mantel) but by virtue of time bonuses collected along the way he is just 11 seconds off the lead.
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Carlos Barbero of Movistar leads the field but it’s still very much all to play for heading into stage three tomorrow as some 42 riders are within a minute of the leader.
Dunbar’s Axeon Hagens Berman team are also flying and they currently lead the team classification while their man Ivo Oliveira made it onto the podium today as the best home-based rider on the stage.
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He was sixth today in the bunch sprint with victory going to the aforementioned Ariesen of the Dutch squad Metec TKH Continental Cyclingteam p/b Mantel.
Dunbar’s team had three men in the top f15 on the stage with Christopher Lawless taking fifth and Logan Owan 15th.
And they are well-poised on GC too with Adrian Costa lurking in 16th at 13 seconds and Jhonathan Narvaez three places above him on the same time.
The aforementioned Owan and Oliveira are also there or thereabouts within striking distance.
Dunbar made it into the break today alongside Anton Vorobyev (Gazprom Rusvelo) and Trond Trondsen (Team Sparebanken Sor) and after collecting three points he moved to within eight points (on 12) of the man leading the KOH classification, Aldemar Reyes of the Colombian Pro Cycling outfit Manzana Postobon.
And the reigning Irish national time-trial champion is leading the young rider classification by two seconds from a clutch of nine riders.
The two other Irishmen in the race, Sean McKenna and Conor Hennebry came home in the same time as the main peloton in 82nd and 77th, respectively.
Tomorrow’s stage is the halfway point of the race and there are three categorised climbs on the 208-kilometre journey from Mourao to Mertola.
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