Eddie Dunbar lines out Saturday in the Vuelta a España aiming to ride into top shape as the three-week race progresses. The Corkman is co-leader of the Jayco AlUla team in terms of general classification ambitions, with the Australian Chris Harper also a protected rider from the off. Dunbar was a fine seventh in the 2023 Giro d’Italia, having been fourth overall with three days to go but then falling ill.
All going to plan he and his team know a podium finish in a Grand Tour is possible, but an injury earlier this season plus a mixed performance in last week’s Vuelta a Burgos means he is uncertain of his form.
“If you go off training data I’m not in a bad place at all,” he told The Irish Times this week. “Maybe not at my best, but I’ve been consistent over the last few weeks in terms of training. I haven’t done any World Tour racing really since the Tour de Romandie, so I’m definitely probably a bit underdone compared to last year’s Vuelta. But that mightn’t be a bad thing come the third week.”
Dunbar crashed in the Giro d’Italia in May and suffered a crucial ligament injury, but returned to racing on June 20th to win the Irish national time trial championship. He has built up towards the Vuelta since then and, given the difficulty of this year’s race, feels it may be better to ride into form rather than be at 100 per cent from the opening day.
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Saturday’s stage is a flat individual time trial in Lisbon, though, meaning it will be important to minimise time loses as much as possible. After that he hopes his climbing strengths will show as the race progresses.
“I think there’s about 62,000 meters of climbing in three weeks, which is over 10,000 more meters than the Tour de France this year. So it’s going to be tough. Every day is hard. It’s literally a case of going in and being attentive every day, hoping I can be there or thereabouts on the hard days.”
There will be two Irish riders in the race, with the talented 21-year-old Darren Rafferty making his Grand Tour debut with the EF Education First squad.
“It’s great for him that he gets a chance to do the Vuelta in his first year as a pro,” Dunbar said of the Dungannon rider. “He’s ridden very well all year, I have been very impressed with him. I think he’s going to have a good three weeks, that’s for sure.”
Rafferty’s main goal will be to ride for team leader Richard Carapaz, who won a stage plus the King of the Mountains jersey in the Tour de France, but he may get the freedom to chase a stage win.
Other general classification contenders include defending champion Sepp Kuss (Visma-Lease a Bike), three time Vuelta winner Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), plus the UAE Team Emirates trio of João Almeida, Adam Yates and Isaac del Toro.
The race features two time trials, nine summit finishes and takes the riders over 3,300km to Madrid.
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