Eddie Dunbar showed solid form on stage seven of the Giro d’Italia on Friday, finishing as part of a 50-rider main bunch on the undulating stage to l’Aquila.

The steepening terrain thinned down the number of those to the fore, and in crossing the line as part of the main bunch racing for ninth place, one minute and seven seconds behind the winner Pello Bilbao (Astana Pro Team), Dunbar’s performance suggests that he should perform well in the mountains ahead.

Stage win

Early on, Irish national champion Conor Dunne went on the attack in a bid to contest the stage win. However the day’s break didn’t go until close to the halfway mark, when a dozen riders got clear. Their gap proved sufficient to stay out until the end, with Bilbao beating Tony Gallopin (AG2R La Mondiale) and Davide Formolo (Bora-Hansgrohe) by five seconds. The overall contenders’ group raced in one minute seven seconds back, with Dunbar placing 28th.

Valerio Conti (UAE Team Emirates) continues to lead overall, with Dunbar moving up to 55th, 13 minutes 59 seconds back. The 22-year-old is also 14th in the best young rider classification in what is his first Grand Tour. The Giro d’Italia continues on Saturday with a lumpy 239km race to Pesaro.