(Photo @bogaertsk)
Eddie Dunbar had another very impressive performance today in the 180-km La Côte Picarde, the second round of the Nations Cup, as he spent much of the day on a solo attack gaining nearly eight minutes on the peloton at one stage.
The Irish team of Dunbar, Daniel Stewart, Javan Nulty, Jack Wilson and Sean McKenna faced many of the best U23s in the World in the race which boasts some impressive podium finishers in the past.
Amongst those who have finished in the top three in recent years include John Degenkolb, Sep Vanmarcke, Arnaud Demare, Caleb Ewan and Simon Yates, so a good performance in the race augurs well for the future.
An early attack by Dylan Kowalski (France), Hector Saez (Spain) and Tilegen Maidos (Kazakhstan) was brought back by the peloton. A number of other attempts were made to go clear, but none were successful until Dunbar attacked with 142 kilometres still to go. It was a reflection of the hard start to the race that the average speed for the opening hour was 45.3 kmph.
Dunbar’s lead quickly grew and after 55 kilometres of the race, his lead was 2’30” over the Argentinean Federico Vivas and 4’40” over the peloton.
His lead continued to grow and after 71 kilometres his gap to Vivas was 4’15” and 7’05” to the peloton. Vivas was then joined by Grigoriy Shtein of Kazakhstan who was the 2014 Junior Champion of Asia, but the Kazakh soon dropped Vivas.
With 80 kilometres remaining, Dunbar still had over 7 minutes lead on the peloton. However, his lead was being reduced. Shtein also dropped back to the peloton which was being led by the Australian team.
Dunbar was still holding on going into the last hour of racing. However, with 47 kms remaining, his over the peloton had been reduced to 3’15” with three chasers Jonas Koch (Germany), Massimo Morabito (Luxembourg) and Juan Ignacio Curuchet (Argentina) in between.
With 30 kilometres left to race, the chasing trio joined the Irishman. Dunbar and Koch dropped the other two and pushed on but were only 15 seconds ahead with 25kms left. They increased their lead over the peloton for a short time, but were eventually brought back with 18kms remaining.
It had been an incredibly valiant effort by the Corkman, having spent about 125kms of the 180-km race away, much of it alone.
Going into the last 12 kilometres, Felix Grosschartner (Austria) and Mads Pedersen (Denmark) attacked and they were joined by Truls Engen Korseth (Norway). They only gained a small lead over the peloton and the race would end in a bunch sprint. The Italian Simone Consonni emerged victorious ahead of Briton and former An Post-Chain Reaction rider Owain Doull and Norwegian Daniel Hoelgaard.
Consonni has already shown his talent this season by taking 7th in the UCI 1.1 G.P. Costa degli Etruschi.
