It was Irish cyclist Eddie Dunbar’s first ride of his first full season at WorldTour level. The 22-year-old is riding with Team Sky (Photo: Kim Caritoux)
Eddie Dunbar has gotten his first full season at WorldTour level off to a solid start on the opening day of the Tour de La Provence in France.
The 22-year-old Irishman was 38th on the opening 8.9km TT on a pan flat course at Saintes-Marie-de-la-Mer.
He finished 40 seconds behind his Team Sky team mate Filippo Ganna, who claimed the stage and first leader’s jersey of the race.
Nicolas Roche, who was getting his Team Sunweb tenure underway today, was 58th at 51 seconds.
While the 2.1-ranked event will be something Roche takes in his stride, it was a bigger occasion for Dunbar.
He commenced racing for Team Sky at the end of last season but today was the start proper of his time with the team and as a WorldTour rider.
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Stage winner Ganna (22) was taking his first victory on the road in his first ever ride for Team Sky having departed UAE Team Emirates after last season.
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Ganna in the iconic La Vie Claire themed jersey of race leader.
“I’ve started the new season on a high note. It was a fast course,” the Italian said, with his rowing Olympian parents looking on.
“When I saw that it was a bit windy, I realised I had to do it seriously. We joked before the start that I had to ride one pursuit of 4km and straight after that, another one.
“To have the leader’s jersey in the first stage race I do this year is very important and beautiful. We have a good team to defend the jersey as long as I can.”
He beat Sebastian Langeveld (EF Education First) by 9 seconds with Rémi Cavagna of Deceuninck-Quick Step 3rd, 10 seconds adrift.
Tomorrow’s second stage takes the riders some 194km from Istres to La Ciotat with six short sharp climbs in the second half of the race.
Stage 3 on Saturday is 159km from Aubagne to Le Castellet with six loops of the Circuit Paul Ricard and an uphill finish after an undulating day.
The race concludes on Sunday with 170km from Avignon to Aix-en-Provence; six short climbs along the way.
With between 2,400 and 2,600 metres of climbing on each of the next three stages, the racing will be tough and cam suit both Dunbar and Roche.
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