Eddie Dunbar back with a bang and hoping to double up at national championships after TT success
Eddie Dunbar won the national time trial title on Thursday night. Photo: Getty
Newly crowned national time trial champion Eddie Dunbar is hoping for a repeat of the performance that won him his first elite time trial title on Thursday evening when he tackles the national road race championships tomorrow in Athea, Co Limerick.
Thursday’s victory came on Dunbar’s return to racing after a long lay-off following a crash on the second stage of the Giro d’Italia back in May, a race he finished seventh overall in last year.
“I needed that,” Dunbar admitted. “It’s just nice to know the legs are there after all the mishaps this year. To get a national jersey is massive.
"I went through the course a lot and I think the technical side of things . . . there was a few corners, I think that’s what kind of won it for me . . . although I did have good legs, I’m not gonna lie.”
Dunbar’s time trial victory means he now has the full set of junior, U-23 and elite titles in the race against the clock and will be hoping to match that when he lines up in the road race tomorrow at noon in Limerick.
“It’s my first race back since the Giro crash so I’ve no expectations, it’s just nice to be able to race on home roads. It’s one of the hardest courses I’ve seen in the nationals, hard, grippy roads, draggy as well, so it’s going to be a proper wearing down process.”
Now based in Monaco, with the Jayco AluLa WorldTour team, the championships is also a rare opportunity to race close to his home in Cork.
“The course is close to home,” said the Banteer man.
“It’s just a short drive down here so it’s a nice chance for friends and family to get to come out and watch.
"Hopefully I’ll have some good legs to do something but I’m going into it open-minded and we’ll see how it goes. Hopefully I’ve the same legs.”
While star turns Sam Bennett and defending champion Ben Healy skip the race in the hope of selection for the Tour de France next weekend, Dunbar has no shortage of opposition with former champions Ryan Mullen (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Rory Townsend (Q36.5), last year’s Rás Tailteann winner Dillon Corkery (Saint Michel) and Healy’s EF Education Easypost team-mates Darren Rafferty and Archie Ryan among those on the elite men’s start list.
Jamie Meehan returns from his French base with CC Etupes to defend his U-23 title but will have his work cut out for him with Adam Rafferty (Hagens Berman Jayco), fresh from his U-23 time trial win on Thursday, Liam O’Brien (Lidl-Trek) and Dean Harvey (Trinity Racing) likely to be his biggest rivals.
Indeed, such is the strength in the U-23 rankings that it wouldn’t be a surprise if one of these won the 161km race outright.
The in-form Lara Gillespie goes into today’s women’s elite race as the clear favourite, the Wicklow woman having just inked a WorldTour contract with the UAE squad. Others to watch out for in the 11km title race, which starts at 12.30 in Athea, are Megan Armitage of EF Education and newly crowned national time trial champion Fiona Mangan, riding for the American Cynisca team.
