Eddie Dunbar, the cyclist from Cork, faced a significant setback in his hopes of achieving a podium position at the Giro d’Italia when he was involved in a crash during Sunday’s second stage. Dunbar, along with three others, came off their bikes on a rightward bend with about 65 kilometres left in the race. Although Dunbar was able to recover and rejoin the group, he later fell behind on the first summit finish of the race.
Tadej Pogačar, the two-time Tour de France champion from UAE Team Emirates, solidified his position as the favourite in the race. Pogačar launched an aggressive move with only 4.5km left in the race, crossing the finish line 27 seconds before the following competitors. These riders, Dani Martínez from Bora-Hansgrohe and Geraint Thomas from Ineos Grenadiers, trailed behind Pogačar.
The impact of Dunbar’s crash significantly affected his performance. He finished in 51st place, lagging 5:56 behind the group. Consequently, he slipped from a commendable 15th position to 36th in the overall rankings, trailing Pogačar by 6:20.
Dunbar had previously finished in the top seven at last year’s event and hoped to surpass that achievement this year. Depending on the doctors’ clearance, Dunbar may shift his focus to aim for individual stage victories.
In contrast, Pogačar has managed to build a substantial lead after only two days of racing. The Slovenian cyclist leadse Thomas and Martínez by 45 seconds in the overall competition as they approach the third stage on Monday. The next two stages are likely to culminate in a group sprint finish.
Pogačar’s goal is to become the first cyclist in over two decades to achieve a victory in both the Giro and the Tour de France in the same year.