Eddie Dunbar moves into top five in Giro d'Italia after impressive climb
It was a day to remember for Irish cycling on Tuesday as Eddie Dunbar moved up to a career-best fifth overall at the Giro d’ Italia while Ben Healy took control of the King of the Mountains Classification.
Dunbar has been hovering around the top 10 for much of the race, but he took a gigantic leap forward on the race’s hardest stage so far, moving up three places overall.
He’s now just 3 '03" down on new race leader Geraint Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers), who was second yesterday behind stage winner Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates).
Dunbar crossed the line in fourth, 25 seconds behind the latter after putting in a storming ride on the 203-kilometre journey across the Italian Dolomites to the summit finish at Monte Bondone.
He paced his effort very well, and with more climbing stages to come - and a mountainous time-trial on Saturday, he will now have his eyes on the podium.
“This is only my second Grand Tour but I think I´m learning quickly,” he said at the finish.
“You have to really pace yourself and I know my limits.
“I had to back off a bit there in the finish,” he explained of the final kilometres on Tuesday.
“That was the moment where the race went, I battled my way back to (Primoz) Roglic and (Sepp) Kuss. I sat on them, Kuss rode a really good tempo to limit the losses and Primoz brought the gap back down in the finish, so I´m happy.”
And to make the day even sweeter for Irish cycling, Ben Healy moved into the ascendancy in the race for the blue jersey as leader of the King of the Mountains Classification.
Already a stage winner from earlier, Healy made his way into the day´s breakaway and he took maximum points on top of the first climb of the day, which moved him into virtual lead.
He now has 164 points and leads Italian Davide Bais by 20 with another stage winner Einer Rubio on 117 points.
There are a number of points still on offer in the stages ahead, but on this form, Healy is looking very good to make the podium when the race reaches its conclusion in Rome on Sunday.
Today´s 17th stage is a 190-kilometre downhill run which will be the final chance for the sprinters.
