A new season, a new start, and then a familiar, shuddering stop. When Eddie Dunbar crashed and broke his hand during his very first race in Jayco-Alula colours last February, the Corkman must have wondered if he was doomed never to return to a Grand Tour again.
During his four-year stint at Ineos, Dunbar’s lone experience over three weeks came at the 2019 Giro d’Italia, where he placed 22nd overall after riding in support of Pavel Sivakov. A broken collarbone ruled him out of a return the following year, but in his last two seasons at Ineos, Dunbar found himself overlooked even when his form seemed to brook no argument.
A transfer to Jayco-AlUla for 2023 offered liberation, not least because it came with the promise of a leadership role at the Giro d’Italia. That crash on the road to Altea on the opening day of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, however, immediately threatened to curtail Dunbar’s newfound freedom.
“There were times when I didn’t think I’d be here at all,” Dunbar told reporters in Pescara on Friday afternoon. “I thought I’d almost be tearing up the first half of the season and looking at what was left in the second part, because there was a period of six weeks where I couldn’t race, and it was still a bit unknown about where my hand was at.”
Dunbar eventually returned to competition at Itzulia Basque Country in early April. There are far gentler alternatives on the calendar for a man feeling his way back after injury, but with the Giro barely a month away, the Irishman felt he had little choice but to subject himself to the most bracing imaginable comeback.
“I got a good kicking there, but I needed that,” Dunbar said. “There’s only so much training you can do before you get into that racing environment, and I needed to get into that rhythm again, so that brought me up a level.”
The Basque purge served its purpose. Come last week’s Tour de Romandie, Dunbar was operating at something closer to full bore, climbing well on the stage to Thyon 2000 and placing 9th overall. “I felt good at Romandie, and hopefully I can continue on that trajectory over the next three weeks,” said Dunbar, who sets out from Pescara with neither set targets nor fixed limits.
“I’ll just go in with an open mind and try to stay out of trouble. There’s still a bit of uncertainty there, as it’s so long since I’ve done a Grand Tour, but it’s exciting as well. I’m definitely starting out with the intention of riding GC and seeing how that looks after a week or two.”
Waiting…
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