Eddie Dunbar will line up at today’s Trofeo Laigueglia (1.HC) which will mark his debut for Aqua Blue Sport.
The 21 year-old from Banteer, Co. Cork signed for the Irish Pro Continental team after two years with renowned feeder team Axeon Hagens Berman.
He took the biggest victory of his career last season when he soloed to the win at the Ronde van Vlaanderen Beloften in April and it capped off a very impressive early season. He also finished 2nd overall at Triptyque des Monts et Châteaux, 5th at both Volta ao Alentejo and Clasica de Arrabida. Following on from Flanders, the 20 year-old took an impressive third at Trofeo Città di San Vendemiano.
In 2016, he finished in the top-10 at both the U23 World Championships time-trial and the UEC Road European Championships U23 time-trial in addition to winning a stage of An Post Rás.
Dunbar lines up alongside Lasse Norman Hansen, Peter Koning, Larry Warbasse and Calvin Watson in the 203-kilometre race. Hansen got the team off to a winning start when he Stage 1 of the Herald Sun Tour (2.1) in Australia earlier this month.
Trofeo Laigueglia has been won in the past by the likes of Eddy Merckx, Freddy Maertens, Roger de Vlaeminck, Johan Museeuw and Filippo Pozzato. Last year’s race was won by Fabio Felline who was riding for the Italian national team. The riders face a challenging course in Liguria which includes four laps of a finishing circuit where they will have to tackle the climb of Colla Micheri every lap.
