"I shouldn't be in pain like this when I'm 27" - Eddie Dunbar recalls how injury struggles almost made him quit cycling before Vuelta stage win
Cycling
For a few years now, every time Eddie Dunbar picks up some momentum, injury, illness or bad luck seems to strike. At the 2024 Vuelta a Espana however, the Irishman was finally rewarded for his efforts, taking the biggest win of his career on stage 11.
"Since the Vuelta last year, I think I've come off the bike eight times. Several of them were pretty hard crashes as well," the Team Jayco AlUla rider reflects in conversation with Off The Ball. "Anyone who has fallen off a bike will tell you, for a couple of days after, you're just pained."
Having seen his Giro d'Italia ended prematurely due to a crash, Dunbar's victory at the Vuelta was extra special. "I went through a time there where, I'm 27 and I'm waking up pained. This year in April I had a problem with my lower back in one of the races and I couldn't even bend down to put my socks and shoes on," recalls Dunbar of his struggles. "Everyone has tough moments in sport, that's part of it. But, these things kept going through my mind. Do I want to keep doing this? When is this going to stop? I shouldn't be in pain like this when I'm 27. What will I be like when I'm 37 or 47?"
"These are the things that come into your mind and that's just me being really honest about it," he admits. "But again, sometimes you just have to suck it up sometimes. You either harden up and get on with it, that's my mentality, or you go the other option, which is to stop. You do think about that other option a bit, but for me, that athlete and sportsperson inside of me keeps me going. I just put my head back down and go at it. But yeah, they are tough moments and I've had a couple of them in the last year."
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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🗣️"I shouldn't be in pain like this when I'm 27." 🗣️"I couldn't even bend down and put my socks and shoes on." 🗣️"I've came off the bike 8 times..." @EddieDunbar on the ups and downs of being a pro cyclist. Full interview: Offtheball.com/join
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