Ireland's Eddie Dunbar leads the group up the road at the Tour of Alberta in Canada.
Having celebrated his 20th birthday on the opening stage of the Tour of Alberta in Canada, Eddie Dunbar has marked the occasion with some strong riding.
The Irishman went on the attack on Thursday’s stage 1; at the end of which his Axeon Hagens Berman team mate Colin Joyce took victory.
And with the team taking the leader’s jersey into yesterday’s stage 2, Dunbar was to the fore in towing the peloton along for 20km in pursuit of a breakaway.
And while American Tanner Putt of Unitedhealthcare took a very tidy stage win, Dunbar’s efforts were enough to keep colleague Joyce in the yellow jersey.
Putt took the day just ahead of Alexis Cartier (Canada) after 182km from Kananaskis to Olds.
Advertisement
Bloody hell, break made it! #TOA16 @UHCprocycling pic.twitter.com/ly0BHNgf4Z
— Cyclepieces (@motorcycleMTNS) September 2, 2016
Putt wins yesterday's stage 2 from Canada's Cartier, with the large chase group - containing Eddie Dunbar - just behind.
The eventual winner and runner-up had gone clear in the early escape with Travis Samuel (H&R Block), only to be caught by a large chasing group before going away again and this time just about making it all the way to the finish.
The bunch split significantly, with yellow jersey Joyce going clear in a chase group that bridged to the two leaders to form a group of nine up front.
However, after Putt and Cartier wriggled away again, the chase group would reach about 40 in a regrouping after a climb at the 85km mark, with Dunbar in that large group.
And with about 40km remaining the leaders had some three minutes, making Putt the race leader on the road by about 50 seconds.
However, Dunbar did a huge chunk of work on the front to shave some 40 seconds off the gap.
A number of teams then assisted in the chase before Cannondale-Drapac really put the pressure on in the closing stages.
It meant the leaders were pegged right back but still held on; Putt winning from Cartier by 2 seconds.
Related News
Dunbar's team mate Joyce in yellow on the podium after stage 2 after a strong defence of the race lead.
Dunbar’s team mates Tyler Williams and race leader Joyce came to the line among a small number of riders just off the front of the bunch.
Williams was just 10 seconds down in 3rd with Joyce 5th a further 5 seconds back.
Dunbar was in a 45-rider group that finished just 2 seconds down on the race leader and 17 seconds down on the stage winner. The Irishman crossed the line in 46th place.
The rest of field, bar four riders, were over 12 minutes back.
On Thursday’s opening stage – 107kn starting and finishing in Lethbridge – Dunbar was on the attack in a large escape group of 26 riders.
It went clear on the climb on the second lap of eight. It would split on the penultimate lap when a group of 10 went clear, with Joyce emerging quickest in the sprint to the line at the finish.
Dunbar’s group would be caught by many from behind, with 60 riders finishing in groups separated by a couple seconds, the first of which was 2:06 down on the breakaway.
Dunbar would finish in 43rd, in a group of six riders 2:11 down.
Going into today’s stage 3 he is in 40th place; one of a group from 16th to 50th all on equal time 2:20 down on Joyce.
Today’s third stage is 181km from Rocky Mountain House to Drayton Village, with a number of short ramps just before the finish.
Sept 1st-5th: Tour of Alberta (UCI 2.1)
Fri, Sept 2nd: Kananaskis - Olds (182km)
1 Tanner Putt (USA) UnitedHealthcare 4:06:46
2 Alexis Cartier (Can) Team Canada 0:00:02
3 Tyler Williams (USA) Axeon Hagens Berman 0:00:10
4 Evan Huffman (USA) Team Rally 0:00:13
5 Colin Joyce (USA) Axeon Hagens Berman 0:00:15
6 Alex Howes (USA) Cannondale-Drapac Pro Cycling
7 Kristofer Dahl (Can) Silber Pro Cycling 0:00:17
8 Felix Cote Bouvette (Can) H&R Block Pro Cycling
9 Travis McCabe (USA) Holowesko/Citadel
10 Pierrick Naud (Can) Team Rally
46 Eddie Dunbar (Irl) Axeon Hagens Berman
General Classification
1 Colin Joyce (USA) Axeon Hagens Berman 6:30:19
2 Alex Howes (USA) Cannondale-Drapac 0:00:07
3 Robin Carpenter (USA) Holowesko/Citadel 0:00:09
4 Evan Huffman (USA) Team Rally 0:00:11
5 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo 0:00:15
6 Alexander Cataford (Can) Silber Pro Cycling
7 Antoine Duchesne (Can) Team Canada
8 Daniel Eaton (USA) UnitedHealthcare
9 Angus Morton (Aus) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis
10 Nigel Ellsay (Can) Silber Pro Cycling 0:00:21
40 Eddie Dunbar (Irl) Axeon Hagens Berman 0:02:20
Topics
