Eddie Dunbar has reached a major milestone in his career in Italy today, when he took his first race leader's jersey since turning professional. Dunbar now leads Coppi e Bartali (2.1) after today's stage 2.
The 25-year-old from Co Cork, who has been beset with bad luck at times in recent seasons, was 2nd on yesterday's opening stage when he was part of a two-man move - with Mauro Schmid (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl). While he was beaten by Schmid to the stage victory, he gained 14 seconds on the remains of the peloton, which numbered just 20 riders.
Today the 165.9km stage from Riccione to Longiano included three laps of a 22km undulating circuit. And when Schmid lost contact with the lead group as the finale ramped up, Dunbar was race leader on the road.
Advertisement
The front group was whittled right down, to just 17 riders, and while there were lots of attacks on the run in to the final climb, the stage came down to a sprint from that group at the top of the Belvedere Wall in Longiano.
Dunbar's Ineos Grenadiers team mate, Ethan Hayter, claimed the stage victory, with the Irishman finishing at the back of the front group, on the same time as Hayter, to take the race lead. Matteo Sobrero (BikeExchange - Jayco) was 2nd today and Ineos Grenadiers rider Ben Tullett was 3rd.
Dunbar placed 15th of that 17-man front group and also leads the climbers' classification after today's stage. With Hayter having taken a 10-second time bonus for the stage win, he has closed the gap to Dunbar in the overall; from 16 seconds starting the stage to just 6 seconds.
Related News
Behind team mates Dunbar and Hayter, Italian rider Sobrero is now 3rd overall at 14 seconds. Tullett is up to 4th overall and is 16 seconds off Dunbar. Then comes a group of 11 riders who are 20 seconds down; all having finished in the favourites' group on the first two stages but having taken no time bonuses on either stage.
Ineos Grenadiers looked by far the strongest team in the race today, even though Alpecin Fenix made the stage very hard and Mathieu van der Poel was among the attackers in the finale.
On the penultimate climb, crested with 12km to go, Dunbar, Hayter and Tullett all pulled clear in an eight-man move, which forced UAE Team Emirates into a chase; underlining just own good Ineos Grenadiers are this week.
Looking to the stages ahead, Dunbar seems to be in the climbing form of his life this week and has a great chance of winning the race outright, which could transform his career. However, if Hayter climbs as well as his Irish team mate he may use his superior kick to take time bonuses. Those seconds could prove vital in battle for the overall, though breakaway riders may deny Hayter that chance.
