Eddie Dunbar abandons Vuelta a España after neutralised zone crash

Eddie Dunbar has abandoned the Vuelta a España after crashing in the neutralised zone of stage 5 from Morella to Burriana.

The Irishman had already crashed twice during Saturday’s rain-soaked opening team time trial in Barcelona. His Jayco-Alula team has yet to provide details on the injuries sustained by Dunbar in his fall on Wednesday.

Dunbar was lying 42nd overall, just over five minutes down on red jersey Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep), after losing ground on Monday’s summit finish at Arinsal.

He had arrived at this Vuelta with designs on a high overall finish after delivering a strong showing at the Giro d’Italia, where he impressed at Monte Bondone and Val di Zoldo en route to placing 7th overall in Rome.

That Giro was just the second Grand Tour of Dunbar’s career and his first as a team leader after switching from Ineos to Jayco-Alula during the off-season. Dunbar’s early season was interrupted when he broke his hand in a crash on the opening day of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, but he recovered to place 9th at the Tour de Romandie just ahead of the Giro.

Dunbar had prepared for this Vuelta with the first extended altitude training camp of his career, and the 26-year-old looked on course for the race when he placed 7th overall at the Tour de Polgone earlier this month.

There were three non-starters on stage 5 of the Vuelta, with Bryan Coquard (Cofidis), Kobe Goossens (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) and Ruben Guerreiro (Movistar) all withdrawing following their crashes on Tuesday.