Eddie Dunbar makes competitive return in Basque Country following injury

Eddie Dunbar’s Jayco AlUla team has said that he is not being put under any pressure as he contests his first race after recovering from a fractured hand. The Corkman was out of competition for eight weeks before lining out on stage one of the Itzulia Basque Country race on Monday, and rolled in over six minutes back at the end of Tuesday’s hilly second stage.

“He’s just settling into the rhythm of racing for these first two days whilst helping the team out, but with no pressure,” a team spokesperson told The Irish Times on Tuesday evening. “He is just getting used to the load of racing, and is in a good place considering it is only really race day two of the season for him and it is not an easy race to start back with.”

Dunbar is Ireland’s best rider for hilly stage races and moved to the Jayco AlUla team this year in order to be a designated leader for the first time in his career. However he crashed on his season debut on February 1st and suffered a broken bone in his hand, necessitating an operation and over eight weeks out of competition.

Speaking prior to the event, he told The Irish Times that he was content with where he was at considering that injury. “Training has gone well and I’m feeling good. Racing is the main thing I need now.”

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Now 26, he will line out in what is only the second Grand Tour of his career when he competes in the Giro d’Italia, starting on May 6th. This week’s event and the Tour de Romandie in late April will help him build form in advance of that race, as well as allowing him to gauge his condition.

The Itzulia Basque Country includes many climbs and continues until Saturday. Dutch rider Ide Schelling (Bora-hansgrohe) won stage two in a 31 rider sprint and leads overall. The event continues on Wednesday with a hilly stage to Amasa-Villabona.

Meanwhile Ben Healy finished in the main bunch on stage one of the Région Pays de la Loire Tour in France on Tuesday. Healy took his first two victories as a pro rider recently, winning stage three of the Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali on March 23rd and then taking the one day GP Industria & Artigianato three days later.

Like Dunbar he is scheduled to compete in the Giro d’Italia, where he will hunt a stage victory. It will be the first Grand Tour of his career.

The Région Pays de la Loire Tour runs for four days.

At home, Daire Feeley (All Human/VeloRevolution) and Aoife O’Brien (Spellman Dublin Port) retain their leadership of the Cycling Ireland National Road Series after Sunday’s second round, with the two finishing third and second respectively in the men’s and women’s races.

They were victorious in round one and were again prominent in Sunday’s race, the Des Hanlon Memorial in Carlow.

Matthew Devins continued his comeback from a bad concussion last season, winning the men’s event. The recent Rás Maigheo winner and Lindsay Watson (Powerhouse Sport) caught Feeley, Conn McDunphy (Lucan CRC) and Dean Harvey (Unattached Leinster) with approximately five kilometres to go after the latter trio had opened up a lead on the final climb of the tough Carlow course.

Devins was then clearly quickest in the sprint. He said afterwards that he was suffering for much of the race. “I kind of had to keep believing that I could win it, even though it was unbelievably hard.

“It was just a lot of cat and mouse coming into the line. Everyone was attacking. None of us had a leg left, it was just so hard. But then I saw Feeley was on the [brake] hoods coming into the line with 300 metres to go. I knew he was the biggest threat. I know Feeley doesn’t sprint on the hoods, so I just knew that he probably didn’t have it. So I gave it everything in the sprint and am over the moon to win it.”

Caoimhe O’Brien took a fine victory in the women’s race, winning the event for the third year in succession. She launched multiple attacks during their 100 kilometre event, as did others, but it came down to a sprint of over a dozen riders.

She was quickest to the line, beating her younger sister Aoife O’Brien, Ella Doherty (UCD Cycling Club), Catherine Sands (Newry Wheelers), Erin Creighton (McConvey Cycles) plus several others.

“As we were coming down on to the road coming into the finish it was kind of a big group together. I tried another attack just to try see if I could break it up a little bit and get away but no, it stuck together. So then I was like, ‘okay, it’s gonna be a sprint finish now.’ So I was really happy to get the win.”

The National Road Series continues on Sunday April 23rd with the Brian O’Loughlin Memorial in Cong.

Des Hanlon Memorial, Cycling Ireland Road National Series round two, Co Carlow:

Men’s race (140km): 1 Matthew Devins (Dan Morrissey – Primor by Pissei), 2 L Watson (Powerhouse Sport), 3 D Feeley (All Human/VeloRevolution), 4 C McDunphy (Lucan CRC), 5 D Harvey (Unattached Leinster), 6 A Wade (Cortizo Aluminium Team), 7 M McGinley (Four Masters CC), 8 M Cigala (Dan Morrissey – Primor by Pissei), 9 Q Donnelly (Usher Irish Road Club), 10 L Smith (Moynalty Cycling Club). Series leader after round two: Feeley.

Junior men: 1 Quillan Donnelly (Usher Irish Road Club), 2 Cl Tutty (Burren Cycling Club), 3 K O’Brien (Orwell Wheelers Cycling Club). Series leader after round two: K O’Brien.

Women’s race (100km): 1 Caoimhe O’Brien (unattached Leinster), 2 A O’Brien (Spellman-Dublin Port), 3 E Doherty (UCD Cycling Club), 4 C Sands (Newry Wheelers), 5 E Creighton (McConvey Cycles), 6 M Corless (Challenge Cycling Club), 7 D Harkness (VC Glendale), 8 O Walsh (UCD), 9 J Speers (North Down CC), 10 J Neenan (Longcourt Hotel – NCW Wheelers). Series leader after round two: Aoife O’Brien.

Junior women: 1 Aine Doherty (VC Glendale), 2 Z Lindsay (TC Racing), 3 H Hayes (TC Racing). Series leader after round two: Hayes.

Killinchy GP, Co Down (Saturday):

1 Lindsay Watson (Powerhouse Sport), 2 C McCann (Inspired Cycling), 3 O Doogan (Caldwell Cycles), 4 M McGinley (Four Masters CC), 5 M Kincaid (Newry Wheelers), 6 G McKee (Cycology Cycling), 7 N Mullan (Velo Café Magasin), 8 S Millar (Ards Cycling Club).

Unplaced A2: Jonathan Taylor (Carn Wheelers).

A3 race: 1 Drew McKinley (Newry Wheelers), 2 C Love (VC Glendale), 3 D Henning (Velo Club Mourne), 4 D Todd (Dromore Cycling Club), 5 C Sweetman (Stamullen RC), 6 JMcCullagh (Carn Wheelers), 7 C Lowry (Team Madigan), 8 G Cross (Velo Café Magasin). Leading Woman: Alison Higgins (Four Masters CC).

A4 race: 1 Aaron Fegan (Ards CC), 2 J Paul Rice (Banbridge CC), 3 P Clarke (Unattached), 4 J Bunting (Team Madigan), 5 K McNamara Ards CC), 6 D Moore (Team Madigan), 7 S Stranney (Crossgar CC), 8 J McKaigue (Carn Wheelers). Leading Woman: Elena Wallace (Harps CC).