Eddie Dunbar has taken another top 10 placing in a final
general classification, this time at the Tour de Wallonie in Belgium.
However, while two of the stages looked like they may
split on short sharp climbs in a way that could suit the Irishman, the racing
did not pan out as expected.
The final stage yesterday saw the riders race 186.7km
into Thuin, with the 400m Mur de Thuin tackled three times at the end.
However, the Wanty-Gobert team of stage 2 winner and race leader Loïc Vliegen rode very strongly after a breakaway that gained over three minutes at one point.
That escape group was caught on the run-in to the final cobbled climb up to the finish.
And while Bryan Coquard (Vital Concept-B&B Hotels) went for broke up that final climb and pulled clear, Lotto-Soudal’s Tosh Van der Sande was able to match him.
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While those two gained a few seconds on the front of the
peloton, which split in the climb, Van der Sande bided his time and came around
Coquard to win.
They were a couple of seconds ahead of the next clutch of riders, with race leader Vliegen among that small group and wrapping up the title overall by eight seconds front Van der Sande.
Eddie Dunbar finished in the third cluster of riders yesterday on the uphill finish; in 17th place at seven seconds.
And that time lost saw him drop from 4th to 6th overall
in the final general standings.
As well has having Dunbar in 4th going into yesterday’s stage, Team Ineos also have Chris Lawless 2nd just 12 seconds off the race lead.
However, Lawless punctured in the finale yesterday. And though he got back on, he suffered for that effort and finished with Dunbar, dropping to 4th overall.
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Dunbar made his move on the penultimate stage of the race on Tuesday when he bridged a minute gap to the breakaway just as the final hour of racing began.
When he caught the group he drove it forward and took a six-second time bonus, which moved him up from 19th to 4th overall.
He dropped all of the breakaway men but was caught by the peloton and had to be content with the time gained via the bonus.
And while he would have hoped for yesterday’s stage to split on the climbs, that did not happen.
He was then caught out a little in the final charge up the last climb to the finish line, slipping two places overall as a result.
However, 6th overall is another very solid result for him and he also claimed 2nd in the young rider classification behind Lawless.
He adds his 6th place yesterday to a series of results so far this season that reflect his status as a rider well able to dictate the racing despite his youth.
He was 7th overall and 2nd in the young rider classification at the Tour de la Provence (2.1) in France in February.
In May he was 3rd overall at the Tour de Yorkshire (2.HC),
going very close to winning the race after a brilliant attacking rider on the
last stage when he was 3rd.
He then finished 22nd in the Giro, his first Grand Tour,
while taking 3rd on stage 12 from a breakaway.
At La Route d'Occitanie-La Dépêche du Midi (2.1) in France in June he was 5th overall and 2nd on a stage.
He was 2nd in the road race and TT championships in Derry
City in June and is just lacking a win, which will come if he can hold this
form.
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