Double Vuelta a España stage winner Eddie Dunbar has confirmed a move to Swiss team Q36.5 Procycling on a two-year contract and believes he can step up to a new level in the period.
The Corkman announced the move in a team statement on Monday and has made clear that the biggest races in the sport are his target.
"Grand Tours suit me well because I always get better towards the end. I absorb the workload of a three-week race well," he said.
"There have been glimpses of what I can do but due to crashes and illness I haven't reached my full potential there yet. That’s something for the next two years."
Dunbar will move across at the end of the season from his current Jayco AlUla outfit.
He had notched up some big results during his three years with the squad, including his two stage wins at last year’s Vuelta a España, as well as seventh overall in the 2023 Giro d’Italia.
However, his progress has been hampered by several falls, including one which saw him retire from his debut Tour de France this year.
The 28-year-old had impressed during the opening week of that race, taking fourth on stage 6 to Vire Normandie.
Dunbar’s move will see him work with the Belgian Kurt Bogaerts, the head of performance at Q36.5 Procycling.
Bogaerts has a long history with Irish cycling, running the Sean Kelly team for many years and also being the team manager for the Irish squad at major events. He was also part of the management structure at the Ineos Grenadiers team when Dunbar competed there.
"Eddie is a very interesting rider I know well. He can climb, time trial and is punchy by nature," Bogaerts said on Monday.
"He has already shown great things in smaller stage races but also won two stages in the Vuelta and has ridden in support of team leaders often too. He is versatile and quite adept to hard races. I am happy he will be with us."
The team already has an Irish rider: national champion Rory Townsend is part of the line-up, and took a career-best result on Sunday when he won the Hamburg Classic in Germany.
Also on the squad is the Briton Tom Pidcock, who came on board at the start of the season as its new leader.
Dunbar will ride in support of Pidcock in some races, but will also get his own opportunities.
"The team has already done some big races, and I hope I will play my part in the future ones," he said. "Winning a race is never easy but when there is an opportunity, I am ready to take my chance.
"The Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team is obviously a team on the up which is a good sign. They are really competitive in the races, take it on even if they don’t win and create a good racing atmosphere riding as one. When Kurt Bogaerts - who I know well from my time at Ineos - joined, my interest was sparked even more. I know how he works.
"I also spoke to [owner] Doug Ryder on how the team is going and what they expect. In Tom they have a clear leader which is always good for any team, so it seems like a good moment now to join with my knowledge and experience."
Dunbar was lucky to dodge fractures in his stage 7 crash at the Tour de France, and returned to racing earlier this month in the Arctic Race of Norway.
He is due to line out in the Vuelta a España, which begins in Turin in Italy on Saturday.
That will be one of his final outings with the Jayco AlUla team, with Dunbar then likely to take part in training camps with his new squad later this year.
The Banteer rider will be looking forward to that, and so too is Bogaerts. He emphasised Dunbar’s talent but also his character, something which will help him get established with the squad.
"Recruitment is not only about values and results on the bike but also off the bike," Bogaerts said. "What kind of personality does a rider have? In Eddie we have a rider who fits well in the group, is valued and loved.
"He has huge potential in Grand Tours which he has already shown, and I think we can make him even better."
