Eddie Dunbar shows the strain of top flight international racing at the U23 Gent Wevelgem classic in Belgium (Photo: Oran Kelly)
Eddie Dunbar was best of the Irish at the U23 Gent Wevelgem in Belgium on Sunday, the 19-year-old finishing in a chasing group.
The race, which is part of the U23 Nations Cup international series, was won by Mads Pedersen of Denmark after just over 4½ hours and 184km in the saddle.
The 20-year-old came in at the head of a small group sprinting for victory and he beat Aders Skaarseth of Norway into 2nd place.
Briton Gabriel Cullaigh took 3rd in the same time as the winner and runner up, with David Per of Slovakia in 4th.
They were clear of a 22-man group that came in 15 seconds down, with Ireland’s Dunbar in the next group on the road.
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It contained eight men and was 2:01 behind the winner after a very bruising encounter.
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Next for the Irish was David Montgomery; the former off road specialist turned An Post-Chainreaction road rider finishing in a larger group 3:21 for 52nd place.
Young Michael O’Loughlin, who was riding his first major race as an U23 having moved up from the junior ranks last year, but in a strong performance to build on.
He came home in the same group as Montgomery and took 61st on the day.
France-based Matt Teggart, who is also in the early stages of his U23 career, finished in a group 4:58 down and took 70th place, with Angus Fyffe just three places back.
Sean McKenna was not listed as a finisher. He is still racing on the domestic scene until his college exams are completed in the next couple of months and then will travel to Belgium to take up his place with An Post-Chainreaction.
We’ll have a more in-depth account of how the Irish got on very shortly.
U23 Gent Wevelgem, Nations Cup
Sun, March 27th: Ieper-Ieper (184km)
1 Mads PEDERSEN DEN 4:30:50
2 Anders SKAARSETH NOR +0
3 Gabriel CULLAIGH GBR +0
4 David PER SLO +0
5 Elie GESBERT FRA +8
6 Pascal ACKERMANN GER +15
7 Oliver WOOD GBR +15
8 Michael Carbel SVENDGAARD DEN +15
9 Kristoffer HALVORSEN NOR +15
10 Phil BAUHAUS GER +15
11 Jérémy LECROQ FRA +15
12 Edward PLANCKAERT BEL +15
13 Hartthijs De Vries NED +15
14 Jan MAAS NED +15
15 Benjamin DECLERCQ BEL +15
16 Grigoriy SHTEIN KAZ +15
17 Oliviero TROIA ITA +15
18 Christophe Noppe BEL +15
19 Piet ALLEGAERT BEL +15
20 Damien TOUZÉ FRA +15
34 Eddie DUNBAR IRL +2:01
52 David MONTGOMERY IRL +3:21
61 Michael O'LOUGHLIN IRL +3:21
70 Matthew TEGGART IRL +4:58
73 Angus FYFFE IRL +4:58
DNF Sean MCKENNA IRL
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