Attacking from a group of 14 riders with 650 meters remaining, Dunbar piloted his Propel Advanced SL equipped with a CADEX Max 40 WheelSystem to victory, two seconds ahead of the chasing group. It was the first victory for Dunbar at the WorldTour level, and his fourth win in seven years racing as a professional. Upon crossing the line, Dunbar was immediately congratulated by teammate Filippo Zana, who was also in the front group.
Dunbar was on the verge of tears as he recounted the difficulties he’d faced over the past 12 months due to crashes—particularly his exit from the Giro d’Italia in May after just two stages due to cuts on his leg exposing the lateral collateral ligament (LCL) just below his knee.
“Since the Vuelta last year I think I’ve had seven or eight crashes,” Dunbar said. “Of course physically that takes its toll, but mentally it’s taken its toll as well. I’ve had numerous times in my head where I’ve thought that I might not have a future in the sport because of the crashes, and the injuries I’ve had, and this year, after the Giro, when I injured my LCL, I thought that could be the nail in the coffin in terms of my cycling career.
“But I have incredible support around me, my girlfriend Niamh has supported me since then — well, forever, she’s always there for me. I have an incredible group of family and friends in the team, they’ve backed me so much as well. It’s been a long time coming, but to repay all of them today, it means a lot.”
The 166km stage, which started and finished in Padrón, traversed four categorized climbs across the hilly Galicia region of northwestern Spain. A group of 38 riders went clear of the peloton on the second climb, Puerto Aguasantas, after more than 60km of fast and furious racing. And while there were attacks and counterattacks in the kilometers that followed, the battle for the stage win would ultimately unfold on the final climb, the 2.9km long Puerto Cruxeiras, which averages 8.9% in gradient and topped out with 7.9km to the finish line.
Zana crested the summit with two other riders, while Dunbar chased in a splintering group behind. Following the descent, and with just 1.4km remaining, the catch was made, allowing 14 riders to each dream of a stage-winning scenario.
Dunbar played his card with a long-range attack, jumping at 650 meters from the line. He quickly opened up a gap, and within seconds it was clear the rest of the group were racing for second place. The Irishman had time to soak in the moment and celebrate his win, crossing the line with his hands on his Rev Pro helmet in disbelief, taking his first Grand Tour stage win in seven Grand Tour appearances.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been in a scenario like this, if I’m honest, and I just kind of used my experience,” Dunbar said. “I was suffering a bit on that steep climb, and I realized everyone else was as well. I had Pippo [Zana] up the road, so that let me take a back seat, so I just played my cards and gambled, and backed my finish. I know on a finish like this, after a hard race, I can sprint, but I knew I had to go long. So going with 600 to go is probably a bit long for a sprint, but that’s what I had to do to win. I can’t believe it.”
Dunbar reflected on how he had come to the Vuelta to contest for the overall victory, but was forced to change plans after suffering through the race’s difficult early stages.
"It’s weird how it goes sometimes,” he said. “I had a really bad start to the race and I lost a lot of time. I came here to ride GC and I learned pretty quick that I probably didn’t have the legs to do it. My preparation was really good, so then it was time to reassess and go for a stage. Today came an opportunity that I didn’t expect, because I tried hard to get in a breakaway, and I just thought, ‘Yeah, that was my legs gone.’ All of a sudden the big group went, and I thought me and Pippo rode very well in the break, and we were really smart. I actually can’t believe it.”
