From ‘not my day’ to Vuelta glory: Dunbar stuns Buitrago on Peñas Blancas

Eddie Dunbar claimed an emotional Stage 19 victory at the Vuelta a España, timing his effort to perfection on the final climb to overhaul Santiago Buitrago inside the final kilometre.

The win marked a major moment in the Irishman’s first season with Pinarello-Q36.5, which had been badly disrupted after he suffered a broken ankle when he was struck by a motorcyclist in Monaco in March.

Speaking to Domestique earlier in the week, Dunbar had reflected candidly on the psychological toll of his lengthy rehabilitation.

“I’ve been down a few times and I’ve come back, but this took its time... You just kind of wonder when it stops sometimes. It took me a while to get back into it and I suffered mentally quite a bit, I'm not going to lie about that.”

On the slopes above Estepona, those difficult months were put into perspective as Dunbar delivered a patient and controlled ride before catching Buitrago in the closing metres.

Dunbar’s day had hardly started with victory in mind. During the opening part of the 210.8 kilometre route along the Andalusian coast, he struggled to find his rhythm and even told the team car that he did not expect to feature.

“I really didn't expect this today,” Dunbar told Eurosport after the stage. “I even said on the team radio after about 50 or 60 kilometres that today wasn't my day, that I wasn't feeling good. Then I ended up in the break and my legs came around a bit.”

His prospects improved when teammates Tom Gloag and Marcel Camprubí also made the front group, giving Pinarello- Q36.5 three riders in a strong breakaway.

“Having two teammates in the break always helps,” Dunbar explained. “That made me feel a lot more comfortable. It gave me a bit of time to relax. If anything happened on the flat or the descents, I had someone there. They did a super job, and having Tom [Gloag] there in the final made a big difference.”

The result carried extra significance given the extent of Dunbar’s injuries earlier in the season. His accident left him unable to ride for three months and made simply reaching the Vuelta an achievement in itself.

“This year I had three months out where I didn't ride a bike at all after a bad accident,” Dunbar said. “I really didn't think I'd be here, even competing for stages, let alone just being here. I can't believe it.”

When the breakaway reached the lower slopes of the Category 1 Peñas Blancas climb, the race began to fragment. As attacks came on the steepest section around 12 kilometres from the summit, Dunbar resisted the temptation to respond immediately.

Instead, he settled into his own rhythm and gradually worked his way back towards the front.

“When they went on the steep bit with about 12k to go, I really paced myself there not to go into the red,” Dunbar said. “I came back, and having Tom there just gave us an extra bit of insurance. I actually thought Tom was going to get the win today, he looked super strong.”

Santiago Buitrago then made what appeared to be the decisive move inside the final two kilometres. The Colombian opened a gap with a powerful acceleration, but Dunbar again refused to panic.

Knowing he had only one major effort left, he waited.

“When you're in a situation like that, I wish I had the same legs as Buitrago, that's for sure,” Dunbar said. “The attacks he puts in are incredibly strong and I needed to be a bit more careful when I used my effort. I knew I had one effort in me and I wanted to use that effort to win the stage.”

Dunbar closed the gap inside the final 600 metres before passing Buitrago and driving clear for his third Vuelta stage victory, two years after his double success in 2024.

Gloag crossed the line in third to complete an outstanding day for Pinarello-Q36.5.

“In the end, having the numbers there really played in our favour,” Dunbar said. “That last kilometre went so quick, I can't even really remember what happened.”