Eddie Dunbar goes into today’s final stage of the Baloise Belgium Tour (2.HC) sitting in fifth place overall after finishing in fifth place on yesterday’s queen stage.

Yesterday’s 151.4-kilometre stage, starting and finishing in Wanze in the Ardennes, included twelve categorised climbs and amongst the climbs the riders had to take on were two ascents of the iconic Mur de Huy.

Dunbar was in the thick of the action from early on, as he infiltrated a 21-rider breakaway that went clear in the first hour of racing. Also included in the break was his team-mate Mark Christian, Andriy Grivko and Magnus Cort Nielsen (Astana), Bryan Coquard (Vital Concept), Jelle Wallays, Jelle Vanendert and Jens Keukeleire (Lotto Soudal) and Simon Spilak and Jenthe Biermans of Katusha-Alpecin. Missing however, was race leader Christophe Laporte (Cofidis).

Dunbar followed an attack by Keukeleire and Martijn Budding (Roompot) but the three were caught on the second ascent of the Mur de Huy with 36 kilometres remaining. The next decisive break went clear with 14 kilometres remaining and the five riders were Keukeleire, Dunbar, Vanendert, Dion Smith (Wanty – Groupe Gobert) and Anthony Turgis (Cofidis, Solutions Crédits).

This proved to be the winning break. Lotto-Soudal used their numerical advantage with Vanendert attacking as his team-mate Keukeleire could sit on behind the chasing trio. Vanendert went on to win alone as Keukeleire took second with Smith in third. Dunbar finished in fifth, 20″ behind the stage winner.

The Irish rider has now moved up from 43rd overall to fifth, 45″ behind new race leader Vanendert. The race concludes today with a flat 157.7-kilometre stage from Landen to Tongeren.

The 21 year-old expressed some disappointment afterwards despite his result.

“I think anyone that knows me knows that I don’t go into a race to compete for fifth place,” Dunbar said. “If I feel like I can win a bike race, I go into the race and I race to win. I don’t go in with the intentions of getting a top five. I am slightly disappointed but I did what I could today and fifth was the outcome.

“I was one of the only ones there who had the legs to make the race, and I tried to attack on the Golden Kilometre – I didn’t get away, but that led do the split that left five of us in the race.

“On that last climb I know Vanemdert was going to attack but I know that to respond to his acceleration would be too much after what I’d done so far. I tried, but I knew my legs were going to go so I just paced it, hoping the other guys would bring it back. But it was a numbers game after that – Lotto Soudal had the numbers, and they used them very well.

“It was a bit annoying because I got distanced by a few seconds coming into the last 300m and if I had managed to stay with the guys I might have been top three on GC. That’s a bit frustrating but it is what it is. I tried out the road to win the race, but it didn’t work out and there will be plenty of other days.”

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