By Brian Canty
Eddie Dunbar has turned in a brilliant performance in sub-zero temperatures in Belgium today, notching up 10th place at the Junior Beverbeek Classic.
The O’Leary’s Stone Kanturk CC rider, who is in his first year in the age category, came over the line in a five-man chase group at the end of a tough 80 kilometre race this afternoon.
The race has earned a reputation as being one of the more difficult early season events on the Continent, with some of the top young riders present. And today it was made even more gruelling with the large peloton having to contend with temperatures that dipped as low as -2 degrees Celsius.
Indeed, such were the arctic-like conditions that Dunbar was forced to consume energy gels for the entire race because his water bottles had frozen early on.
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But the tough Corkman, guest riding for the Tempo Brunes team along with his Kanturk team-mate Cian O’Dwyer, wasn’t complaining, saying he was delighted to have notched his first top 10 of the 2013 season.
“I’m absolutely over the moon,” he told stickybottle after the race.
“It was a tough, tough race in harsh conditions. It was snowing from start to finish and they even had to cut off 20 kilometres of the race, so that made it even faster. The first couple of laps were really, really fast with guys kind of testing each other out but nothing getting away. Then Cian attacked and he managed to get away with another fella but they were caught and passed by six others,” he explained.
That paved the way for Dunbar himself to test his legs and along with four others, they set off in pursuit of the six men out front.
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“One of the guys in the lead group had punctured, so with about two laps to go I went for it and tried to get across to the others up the road,” he said.
“Four guys came with me but because the circuit was only eight kilometres and there were a lot of bends, it was hard to really get motoring.”
They didn’t catch the leading group but Dunbar still managed 10th, with Dwyer coming in afterwards in a small group for a highly respectable result.
The result for Dunbar is all the more impressive given that he only started training in early January and is still very much only establishing a base for the forthcoming season. And if he continues in this kind of form, there’s no doubt he’ll have plenty more ventures onto the Continent and more results won’t be too far away.
He was quick to thank his long time trainer Dan Curtin who wasn’t able to travel over. But Vincent O’Connor, Kevin Hayes and local man Henk Wintermees were all on hand to help out in Belgium and have done a superb job managing them together.
There was also a Munster junior team in the race, with Henry Cooke (Limerick CC), Kevin Hayes (Ballymore CC), Pierre Dallask and Mark O’Callaghan making up the team.
Pierre finished 28th while Henry was 41st. The remaining two were listed as non finishers.
All of the riders will be in action again tomorrow for a slightly hillier race, which is 70 kilometres followed by two six kilometre loops.
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