Eddie Dunbar (Pinarello Q36.5) is no stranger to setbacks, with crashes seemingly always coming for him as often as he has shown his brilliance throughout his career. But after a long road back from being hit by a motorcyclist back in March and breaking his ankle, he was back at the pinnacle on Friday, winning stage 19 of the Vuelta a España.
Twice a winner already at the Tour of Spain, Dunbar added a third in stunning fashion from the breakaway to Peñas Blancas, launching an explosive late surge in the final two kilometres to chase down and convincingly beat Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious).
Before crossing the line, in disbelief, he looked back and then punched his fist in the air, roaring in celebration. He was back, not just where he didn't think he would be six months ago, but where he didn't even expect to be this morning.
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"I missed a lot of the season. I missed the start after I had a bad accident and I was out of action for three months, and I didn't cycle a bike, so it was a big ask just to be at the Vuelta, let alone competing for a stage," said Dunbar.
"I just couldn't believe it when I crossed the line; I think my reaction showed that. Even at the start, I was saying to the guys I didn't feel good, and I probably wouldn't be able to get in the break.
"Lo and behold, I found myself up the road and started to feel good as the stage went on. It's funny how it plays out."
In the end, Dunbar couldn't even recall just how he'd chased down Buitrago. As the emotions flooded in, it had all become a blur. With teammate Tom Gloag for company, they'd paced themselves well to make it into a lead group of four on the final climb, and when the Colombian went, and the Brit didn't have it, the Irishman found something left to respond.
"When you're in a situation like that, I wish I had the same legs as Buitrago because the attacks he puts in are incredibly strong, and I need to be a bit more careful when I use my effort," he said.
"I knew I had one effort in me, and I wanted to use that to win the stage. When they went on the steep bit with about 12km to go, I really paced myself not to go into the red, came back, and having Tom there gave us a bit of extra insurance.
"I started to set a tempo, just thinking Tom was probably going to win the stage. Then, he said, 'I don't think I can', but we were communicating every now and then, and we just basically knew Buitrago was always going to attack far out, so I was just waiting for that. When Buitrago went, Tom couldn't follow, and I knew then that the responsibility was on me to go for the stage win. Thankfully I had the legs to go for it.
"That last kilometre went so quick, I can't even really remember what happened."
Dunbar also revealed there was another emotional aspect at play in his performance, with a recent bereavement in his family highlighting the sacrifices professional cyclists make while their calendars are dictated by the racing schedule.
"I mean, for instance – I don't wanna make this sad – but my girlfriend, her grandmother passed away two days ago. She was supposed to be here, but she's back in Ireland with her family, and I was thinking of them today, and that really spurred me on in the finish," said an understandably teary Dunbar to Eurosport.
"They're the kind of things you think about; they're the sacrifices you make. You can't be there sometimes for the people you need to be there for because you're doing your job. They were on my mind today, and I hope I gave them something to smile about."
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