LESSONS LEARNED AT INEOS GRENADIERS BUT TIME FOR A NEW CHAPTER WITH EDDIE DUNBAR

Eddie Dunbar sits down to reflect on his four years at Ineos Grenadiers, the frustration of being overlooked for Grand Tour opportunities despite consistent strong performances, and his exciting move to Bike Exchange—a team that's committed to giving him a clear race program and a genuine shot at the three-week races he's been craving. We also dig into the state of Irish cycling, the incredible talent pipeline from Bantry, and why infrastructure and belief matter just as much as individual riders.

Key Takeaways

• Eddie was repeatedly passed over for Grand Tour selection at Ineos despite being in peak condition and performing well in week-long races—a decision he still doesn't fully understand and describes as 'the hardest phone call I'd ever received as a cyclist.'
• Clear race calendars and knowing your role matter enormously: Eddie needs to know his program in January to perform at his best, something Bike Exchange has committed to providing but Ineos couldn't guarantee.
• Irish cycling has the raw talent—Sam Bennett, Roy Mullen, Eddie himself—but lacks infrastructure and belief at federation level; even bringing five riders instead of six to the Euros can cost you a continental championship.
• Coming home to Cork to train by feel on familiar circuits gives Eddie crucial feedback on his condition that power meters and Monaco's terrain can't replicate.
• Danny Corton's grassroots coaching philosophy—treating every kid the same regardless of size or age, and backing them with genuine belief—created a talent factory that's now producing world-class riders.
• Eddie's approach to switching teams was about mental and cultural fit: he needed a relaxed environment with serious intent, and Bike Exchange's 'good crack' combined with clear expectations ticked all the boxes.

Expert Quotes

"I was flying like because I did like I was after winning Coppi um I got a chest infection after a copy and like half the peloton hunted at that point... I just trained all the way up until the day before Tour of the Alps I didn't take a break into it and I wrote very well there so I just kind of all right if I actually tapered into that I would have been... not in the race but I knew what level I would have been."

"It was one of the I couldn't believe it actually I was one of the toughest phone calls I ever had... I didn't really I just actually I just stayed in the room for a while I was quite upset and um was just trying to figure out why I wasn't picked um never never really found that out."

"They have a good they have good crack you can see that and I think that's something that kind of brings the best out of me as well... I think bike exchanges ticked all in boxes for me because they can like offer me like a race program where I get I know what I'm doing from january until what first six months."