THE CYCLING BUG PAULED THE RUG FROM UNDER ME
MUNSTER Rugby fanatic Eddie Dunbar hopes to give Paul O’connell a better reason to remember him now.
Dunbar, 24, is one of three Irish cyclists in action in tomorrow’s men’s Olympic road race, along with cousins Nicholas Roche and Dan Martin.
As a climber, he’ll fancy his chances of having a good day on the Mount Fuji circuit and the previous best by an Irish rider in an Olympics – 13th, jointly held by Martin and Ciaran Power – will be a target.
But before he caught the cycling bug, rugby was his world. In some ways, it remains so.
“I played rugby for eight years in Sunday’s Well in Cork city and was always a big fan,” Dunbar said.
“I still am now. I love it. I probably watch more rugby than I do cycling.
“I used to be a member of their supporters club and go to all of their matches in Musgrave and Thomond Park.”
Ask him for his
Munster heroes and the man from Banteer – the home of two-time Olympic gold medal winner Pat O’callaghan – says Ronan O’gara, Peter Stringer and O’connell stood out.
“I’d say they were getting sick of me every Saturday, going up to them asking for their autograph,” he grinned.
“I was after going up to Paul O’connell three weekends in a row and eventually he said, ‘I’ve seen you before, haven’t I?’, and I said, ‘Yeah, I got your autograph last week as well’.
“He said, ‘Yeah, I remember your face’. So it was funny.
“I always wanted to be a rugby player.”
But watching the Tour de France with his dad fuelled a desire to be part of cycling’s greatest show and he received a warm welcome in the club in Kanturk.
“I didn’t look back then, really. I got the bug, and gave up rugby.
“My physique was more suited to the bike. It just kind of kicked on from there.”