Eddie Dunbar claimed his first Grand Tour victory on stage 11 of the Vuelta a España, attacking in the final kilometre to take a stunning solo win in Padrón. The Irishman, riding for Jayco AlUla, timed his move to perfection, breaking away from a tiring group of escapees just 650 metres from the finish line. Quinten Hermans and Max Poole followed Dunbar across the line to take second and third, respectively.
Reflecting on his victory, Dunbar expressed disbelief at his achievement. “I actually can’t believe it. It’s been a while since I’ve been in a scenario like this, if I’m honest, and I just used my experience,” he said. Dunbar had started the Vuelta with ambitions for the general classification but shifted his focus to stage wins after realising early on that his form wasn’t up to par. “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, yeah, I probably didn’t have the legs to do it.”
The 166.4km stage from the Campus Tecnológico Cortizo in Padrón featured a fast start with numerous attacks, but it was only after an hour of racing that a large group of 38 riders, including Dunbar, finally broke clear. The peloton, led by Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, allowed the gap to grow, ensuring that the stage would be contested by the breakaway.
As the breakaway approached the final climb of the day, Puerto Cruxeiras, attacks began to splinter the group. Max Poole, Carlos Verona, and Urko Berrade led over the top, but their advantage was short-lived as the chase group, including Dunbar, closed in during the descent. With the finish line in sight, Dunbar made his decisive move, holding off the chasers to secure his victory.
Speaking about his strategy in the final moments, Dunbar explained, “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, yeah, it’s probably a bit long for a sprint, but that’s what I had to do to win, and, yeah, I can’t believe it.”
Behind the breakaway, the battle for the general classification intensified on the steep slopes of the Puerto Cruxeiras. Primož Roglič, supported by his Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe team, launched a fierce attack, distancing race leader Ben O’Connor and narrowing the gap between them to 3:16. Enric Mas was the only rider able to follow Roglič’s initial surge, though others, including Mikel Landa and Mattias Skjelmose, managed to bridge across later.
After the stage, Roglič downplayed the significance of the time gain, saying, “There’s still quite more than 35 seconds to go. But yeah, obviously, I’m definitely happy. Happy with how it went, happy with how I had the legs and especially happy about the guys. We showed nice racing.”
O’Connor, while acknowledging the challenge posed by Roglič, remained determined. “Yes, I expected him to do something like that attack,” he said, “I also expected myself to be able to hold the wheel, but you can’t do everything.” Despite losing time, the Australian rider tried to stay positive, recognising that the toughest stages are still to come.
Dunbar’s victory not only marked a personal triumph after years of setbacks but also highlighted the unpredictable nature of the Vuelta. As the race heads into its decisive stages, the general classification remains wide open, with Roglič gaining momentum and Dunbar proving that opportunities can arise even when least expected.
2024 Vuelta a Espana Stage 11 result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Main photo credit: Getty
