Team Sky said Eddie Dunbar has immediately slotted into the team and on the road has proven very strong; attacking and contributing at key moments to ensure a team victory.
Eddie Dunbar has completed a successful first weekend of racing with Team Sky; the squad hailing his strong performances in Italy.
He went up the road yesterday for a period in the 195km Coppa Bernocchi (1.1) in Legnano.
And while his efforts in a group off the front with about 45km remaining were cancelled out, he once again helped set up the team for a shot of victory.
This time around Team Sky came up short; Leonardo Basso its best-placed man in the bunch sprint.
The race was won by Sonny Colbrelli; the Bahrain Merida rider demolishing the gallop for a very impressive victory.
Advertisement
Dunbar was active on the front for Team Sky deep into the finale even though bunch sprinters are not his thing. After his job was done he peeled off and finished in 116th, some 1:28 down.
His strong ride came just 24 hours after he and Michal Golas combined on the climbs of Saturday’s 200km Coppa Agostoni to set-up Gianni Moscon for an attack.
The Italian managed to get clear and eventually ran out the winner of the race.
Eddie Dunbar was part of a Team Sky line-up in Italy that also included Ethan Hayter and Mark Donovan.
The two British 19-year-olds are stagiaires with the squad until the end of the season. The team said all three had done very well in Italy over the two days.
Related News
Sports directeur Dario Cioni seemed especially pleased with Eddie Dunbar's first performances.
"It's been two good days of racing for the younger guys. For our two stagiaires it was the first time racing in a pro team,” he said.
“And for Eddie it was his first race with the team. We were all quite interested to see how they would get on. And I have to say they've all done a really brilliant job.
"Mark was pulling a lot yesterday and also today he did a lot to bring back the break in the final,” he said of Saturday and Sunday.
“Ethan was up there too and started the lead-out in the last kilometre. Eddie has done a really good job.
“Compared to Ethan and Mark he's obviously a bit further on as he's been racing all year with Aqua Blue.
“He's made an impressive start with the team. He's a super guy and he's fitted in really well.
"At the end I think we were one of the only teams who had the whole team there on the final circuit.”
The team had worked for Norwegian sprinter Kristoffer Halvorsen yesterday. Unfortunately, after his team mates’ efforts he got separated from them.
It meant Basso ended up as the team’s rider in the sprint, taking fifth, with Halvorsen back in 19th place.
It was a good hard weekend’s racing for Dunbar as he looks ahead to the U23 road race at the World Championships in Innsbruck next week.
Topics
