Eddie Dunbar went on the attack on one of the final climbs at Trofeo Laigueglia in Italy today.
The Ineos Grenadiers rider was among a large group that formed at the front of the action with about 30km to go in the 202km race, which concluded with four laps of a tough finishing circuit.
Dunbar, Carlos Rodriguez and their team leader Egan Bernal were in that front group when the Irishman lit it up on what was the penultimate lap of the finishing circuit.
Before his attack, the early breakaway had fallen apart on the first lap of the circuit, which featured two climbs, and the peloton exploded, being whittled down to about 50 riders by the end of the first lap.
That lead group continued to get smaller and smaller on the second lap and when Dunbar surged forward there was only about 30 riders in the group.
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The Irishman attacked on the Colla Micheri; the second climb on the circuit and the hardest of the two, at 2km in length and just over eight per cent average gradient.
James Knox (Deceuninck-QuickStep) went after Dunbar, with 22-year-old French neo pro Clément Champoussin (AG2R Citroën) also moving with them.
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However, just as that trio began to ride away, Bernal pulled the trigger in the group behind; catching and passing the leading three and pulling the race apart.
Champoussin was the only one able to hold Bernal and as
they raced up the remainder of the climb and down the descent, with about 20km
remaining, they were joined by Bauke Mollema and Giulio Ciccone, both of Trek-Segafredo, along with Mikel Landa (Bahrain Victorious).
That group swelled by another couple of riders, though not Dunbar, and with about 15km to go Mollema attacked and rode solo to victory. He took the win, with plenty of time to celebrate, some 39 seconds up on the chasing group.
Bernal won a fierce sprint for 2nd place from Mauri Vansevenant (Deceuninck-QuickStep), Champoussin, Ciccone and Landa. Knox was next to finish, in 7th place and 18 seconds down on the group sprinting for 2nd.
After softening up the other riders with his attack before Bernal made his move, Dunbar finished in 73rd place and in a large group some 5:57 down on winner Mollema.
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