Eddie Dunbar was on the attack for 170km today and was part of the breakaway that made it all the wauy to the finish (Photo: Massimo Fulgenzi-Sprint Cycling Agency)

Eddie Dunbar (Team Jayco AlUla) has shot up the general classification at Critérium du Dauphiné after a breakaway ride by the Irishman and others went all the way today; the Cork man on the attack for a whopping 170km.

Ireland’s 2014 Vuelta double stage winner, Dunbar is now up to 6th overall and has given himself a fantastic chance in the general classification battle this week after the breakaway group he was in today gained on the big general classification riders.

In the final of the 207km stage from Brioude to Charantonnay, with 3,000m of climbing, it was Iván Romeo (Movistar Team) who attacked from the breakaway and gained the time he needed to take a solo stage win.

The breakaway men took turns to attack in the last 20km, when their advantage over the remains of the peloton ranged between about 1:15 to 1:40. None of the escapees wanted to bring Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) to the finish.

And when one of Romeo’s many attacks saw him pull out a gap, it was left to him to put in a TT ride to the finish; no issue for him as he is a former U23 TT world champion. He came up the finishing straight in Charantonnay, holding his head in his hands in disbelief, to take the stage win and the yellow jersey.

Romeo won the stage by 14 seconds from a three-man group that set off in pursuit of him in the final; Harold Tejada (XDS Astana Team) 2nd on the stage, Louis Barré (Intermarché-Wanty) 3rd and Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe) 4th.

Dunbar was in the next section of the breakaway – six men finishing at 29 seconds – and was last of the escapees across the line, in 10th place.

The bunch finished some 39 seconds down on the Dunbar group and that means the Irishman not only took 10th on the stage today but, more significantly, has moved up to 6th overall, some 37 seconds down on Romeo.

Archie Ryan (EF Education-EasyPost) finishing in the remains of the bunch today, in 41st place some 1:08 down on the winner. His team mate, Ben Healy, has continued his time losses; shedding 10:38 today when he finished in 145th. While Dunbar is now 6th overall ahead of tomorrow’s TT, Ryan is 37th at 1:18.

More to come.