Eddie Dunbar delighted at ninth place in world championship time-trial
The 20-year-old Corkman scorched around the 28.9km course in a time of 35:29, just 1’21” slower than winner Marco Mathis from Germany with the latter’s teammate Maximilian Schachmann taking silver and Australian Miles Scotson rounding out the podium.
Dunbar had been expected to find the going tough on a flat course that suited physically bigger men but he paid no respect to that notion as he set a blistering early tempo. He was well-placed at all the intermediate time checks and though several of the top contenders faded in the near 40-degree temperatures, the Axeon Hagens Berman professional maintained his speed throughout.
He was eighth when he crossed the line but when another German, Lennard Kamna, bettered his time Dunbar slipped to ninth.
“The course was pan flat, not ideal for a rider of my build but sometimes you have to go fast on the flat too,” he chuckled in reference to how he’s better suited to hilly terrain. I’m really happy with the race. Myself and Brian [Nugent — Technical Director] had a strategy in place, and it really helped.
“I got some good advice from people and I used that in the race. Ninth in the World Championships — I’m really happy with that,” he added.
The other Irishman in action was Michael O’Loughlin and despite it being his first year in the U23 ranks he finished 45th, 3’44” down on the winner.
“Racing in that kind of heat was like nothing I’ve ever done before. I felt good after five minutes, I had settled in nicely, but once I turned into the headwind it was like riding into a hairdryer! The locals can’t believe there’s a bike race going on in the middle of the day.”
Next up for Ireland is Anna Turvey in the elite women’s time-trial at 11.50am today.
Meanwhile, the Irish-registered pro cycling team, Aqua Blue Sport, yesterday added some stellar names to their roster for next year.
Following on from the signings of Lars Petter Nordhaug, Matt Brammeier, Conor Dunne and Martyn Irvine last week, they have added former IAM Cycling teammates Stefan Denifl and Leigh Howard, Dutch riders Michel Kreder and Peter Koning, Kiwi track star Aaron Gate (25), Australian Calvin Watson and five-time world championships medallist Dane Lasse Norman Hansen. Denifl is a huge talent and at 29 he’s one of the team’s most experienced riders.
He was fourth in the mountains classification of the Giro d’Italia this year and will look to excel in the hillier races while Howard has a huge pedigree on the flat. The team will announce the names of the last remaining five riders in the coming weeks.
