On the move: Eddie Dunbar, front right, in the thick of the action in bitter conditions at the Tour of Reservoir, moving up overall and threatening the yellow jersey (Photo: British Cycling)
The riders may have been battered by the elements, including rain, sleet and snow; but Irish man Eddie Dunbar hung tough on yesterday’s stage 2 of the Tour of the Reservoir in Northumberland.
The first year U23 rider competing this season in the colours of NFTO Pro Cycling placed 6th on the opening stage on Saturday and yesterday moved up two places for a final 4th place finish on the general standings.
The bitter cold conditions, and especially the snow, forced the organisers to abandon their original stage 2 hilly route in favour of using the same 12-circuit as the opening stage of what was the second round of the British Cycling Elite Road Series.
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The move did not play into the hands of Dunbar, who was hoping to move up overall and had a good chance of taking his first win of the season.
He is a very good climber who has shown himself on the climbs in the UK in recent weeks and would have relished the opportunity to race the harder circuit yesterday.
When the action got underway it was characterised by a lot of aggression, with several good moves going clear and building up gaps north of one minute.
At one point, with the sleet hammering down in bitter cold conditions, Dunbar got clear in a group with four of his team mates. And as best placed of them, he was closing in on the race lead.
However, with the Madison Genesis team of yellow jersey and stage 1 winner Erick Rowsell riding strongly in defence of his lead, all of the escapes came to nothing by the last lap.
But on that final circuit a group of 21 managed to shed what remained of the peloton.
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And the leaders then split due to the attacking on the uphill finish, with former Rás winner Marcin Bialoblocki (One Pro Cycling) managing to take victory.
He took the stage just ahead of Rowsell, both on the same time.
Steve Lampier (Raleigh GAC) was 3rd just one second back, with Andrew Tennant (Team Wiggins) 4th at a further second.
There then elapsed three seconds before Jack Pullar (Velosure Starley Primal) came home for 5th, with 18-year-old Dunbar another five seconds back in 6th.
His ride on both stages sets him up very nicely for the Nations Cup racing he will take in this week with the U23 Irish team.
He rides Cote Picardie in France on Wednesday, after which the Irish team will be named for the ZLM Tour in Holland next weekend, which is also part of the Nations Cup series.
Round 2: British Cycling Elite Road Series
April 11th & 12th: Tour of the Reservoir
Stage 2, Top 20
1 Marcin Bialoblocki (One Pro Cycling) 3hrs 20mins 56ecs
2 Erick Rowsell Madison Genesis 03:20:56
3 Steve Lampier Raleigh GAC 03:20:57
4 Andrew Tennant Team Wiggins 03:20:58
5 Jack Pullar Velosure Starley Primal 03:21:01
6 Eddie Dunbar NFTO 03:21:06
7 Yanto Barker One Pro Cycling 03:21:06
8 Cameron Jeffers Bill Nickson Cycles RT 03:21:09
9 Peter Williams One Pro Cycling 03:21:09
10 James Gullen Velosure Starley Primal 03:21:10
11 Mark McNally Madison Genesis 03:21:10
12 Thomas Stewart Madison Genesis 03:21:14
13 Josh Hunt One Pro Cycling 03:21:15
14 Karol Domagalski Raleigh GAC 03:21:18
15 Kristian House JLT Condor 03:21:31
16 Thomas Scully Madison Genesis 03:28:04
17 Adria Moreno Velosure Starley Primal 03:21:34
18 Morgan Kneisky Raleigh GAC 03:21:41
19 Dan Fleeman SportGrub KUOTA Cycling Team 03:21:42
20 David McGowan Pedal Heaven RT 03:21:49
21 Dexter Gardias One Pro Cycling 03:21:52
Top 20, Final Overall
1 Erick Rowsell Madison Genesis Elite 7hrs 55mins 44secs
2 Steve Lampier Raleigh GAC Elite 07:56:16
3 Andrew Tennant Team Wiggins Elite 07:56:19
4 Eddie Dunbar NFTO 1st 07:56:29
5 Mark McNally Madison Genesis 1st 07:56:29
6 Yanto Barker One Pro Cycling Elite 07:56:34
7 Marcin Bialoblocki One Pro Cycling Elite 07:56:41
8 Karol Domagalski Raleigh GAC Elite 07:57:03
9 Thomas Stewart Madison Genesis Elite 07:57:04
10 Josh Hunt One Pro Cycling Elite 07:57:05
11 Peter Williams One Pro Cycling 1st 07:57:11
12 Kristian House JLT Condor Elite 07:57:36
13 David McGowan Pedal Heaven RT Elite 07:57:55
14 Morgan Kneisky Raleigh GAC Elite 07:57:56
15 Dexter Gardias One Pro Cycling Elite 07:58:16
16 Ian Bibby NFTO Elite 07:58:19
17 Richard Handley JLT Condor Elite 07:58:32
18 Ian Wilkinson Raleigh GAC Elite 07:58:53
19 Cameron Jeffers Bill Nickson Cycles RT 2nd 07:59:24
20 Adria Moreno Velosure Starley Primal 07:59:49
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