Dunbar holds Ireland’s hopes at Tour of the Alps
Winner of two stages at last year's Vuelta a España, Dunbar will lead Team Jayco AlUla on the roads of Euregio from April 21 to 25. Alongside the Irish are, among others, Koen Bouwman, Chris Harper, and Alessandro De Marchi, who took last year stage 2 in Stans
With less than three weeks to go, the Tour of the Alps (April 21-25) is starting to play its aces. Among those is Eddie Dunbar, 28-year-old Irish rider from Team Jayco AlUla, who’s ready to throw the gauntlet to reigning champion Juan Pedro Lopez, returning in the Euregio to defend his title.
Dunbar, who ended 2024 with flying colours by winning two stages at Vuelta a España, already took part in #TotA 2022, and boasts a good feeling with the Alps. Back in 2023, the Irishman experienced one of the best days of his career at the Giro d'Italia, coming close to winning the stage in Trentino, on the legendary Monte Bondone.
That's quite a calling card for an event like the Tour of the Alps, which has climbing and mountains in its DNA. The rider from Banteer has now targeted the race in the Euregio Tirol-Südtirol/Alto Adige-Trentino as main goal for the first part of his season, given that he won’t participate in the Corsa Rosa.
"I've already ridden the Tour of the Alps once, and I have always wanted to come back since" said Dunbar. "This year this opportunity showed up again, and I can't wait to start. I'm in excellent condition, I've had a good start to the season, and once this camp is finished, I'll focus on studying the #TotA course and the stages. I fondly remember the 2022 stage finishing in Lana: it was a very tough day with many climbs and a fast descent before the finish line. That day I felt really good and thought I could aim for victory (he ended 5th, ed)."
In recent years, Team Jayco AlUla has had a solid track record at the Tour of the Alps. In 2021 Simon Yates took the overall win, while last year Chris Harper came second in the opening stage, and Alessandro De Marchi won on day 2 in Stans.
Harper and De Marchi, alongside with Dutchman Koen Bouwman, will be among Dunbar's companions in the race organized by GS Alto Garda. "We're going to the Tour of the Alps with a strong and ambitious team, with many riders who will then start the Giro d'Italia. It's a challenging race that needs to be experienced and interpreted day by day."
When it comes to responsibilities and goals, Eddie Dunbar doesn't shy away. "This year I would like to focus on the general classification. The #TotA is a highly competitive race with many top riders at the start. It's always great to test yourself in such high-level races."
