Eddie Dunbar appeared to not have the ability to consider he had achieved it, received, as he crossed the road of stage 11 of the Vuelta a España. The Jayco AlUla rider embraced his soigneur, then his teammate Filippo Zana, earlier than placing his head again in his palms. His assault shocked everybody on the entrance of the race, but additionally seemingly shocked himself too.
Dunbar has had a tough 12 months and a half. He completed seventh on the 2023 Giro d’Italia, however the consequence might need been even higher had he not fallen sick late within the race; he additionally got here into the race undercooked as a consequence of a crash and required surgical procedure in February that 12 months.
The Irishman then crashed on the Tour of Poland in August 2023, dislocating his shoulder. Then, after a sequence of crashes on the Vuelta a España final 12 months, he was compelled to withdraw from the race forward of stage 5.
This 12 months, he crashed on the Volta a la Communitat Valenciana, then on the UAE Tour, earlier than leaving the Tour de Romandie early. Then he crashed out of this 12 months’s Giro. It has not been a really perfect time.
Nonetheless, on Wednesday, he lastly bought his luck, successful stage 11, his first Grand Tour stage win, and his first WorldTour win at that. It was a compensation for all people who saved the religion in him, but additionally, crucially, a little bit of luck finally.
Wanting on the group which entered the ultimate kilometre collectively, there have been extra apparent picks to win, however Dunbar took his alternative with each palms, and now can name himself a winner. Maybe this implies and finish to the unhealthy luck.
“It’s unimaginable,” he stated on TV post-race. “For the reason that Vuelta final 12 months I feel I’ve had seven or eight crashes. Bodily that takes its toll, but additionally mentally that takes it toll on me as nicely. I’ve had quite a few occasions in my head that I won’t have a future within the sport due to the crashes and the accidents.
“This 12 months after the Giro after I injured my ACL I believed that was… I believed that might be the nail within the coffin when it comes to my biking profession. I had unimaginable help round me. My girlfriend Niamh supported me, she’s at all times there for me. I’ve an unimaginable group of household and associates, and the workforce backed me. It has been a very long time coming, however to repay all of them as we speak, it means so much.”
With a primary win on the prime stage, a workforce which clearly nonetheless believes in him, and time on his facet, it might be a brand new period for Dunbar. As Jayco AlUla posted on X (previously referred to as Twitter): “We by no means stopped believing.” Clearly, neither did Dunbar.
