When Ben O’Connor left the sphere behind on stage 6, he didn’t foresee the sizeable grasp on the maillot rojo and general race lead that he carried into the Vuelta a España’s first relaxation day, and neither did his rivals.
Sitting 3:53 forward of race favorite Primož Roglič (Purple Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), O’Connor’s margin was thought-about a niche left to get “out of hand” on stage 6, however along with his robust defence of the jersey on Sunday’s stage 9 the Australian rider instantly looks as if a significant risk to the general win.
“I do not actually really feel that a lot strain within the pink jersey, to be sincere,” O’Connor mentioned in his characteristically laid-back trend in his staff press convention on Monday afternoon.
“It’s form of surprising,” he continued. “I by no means considered after the nice jersey right here on the Vuelta a España and a few individuals by no means have the possibility to put on a frontrunner’s jersey at a Grand Tour.” “Many GC guys additionally by no means have the possibility. So I am simply having fun with it and really simply loving racing from the entrance, understanding they’re main the race and it is as much as different individuals to make the strikes, fairly than myself.”
These strikes got here arduous on stage 8 when O’Connor suffered on the ascent of Sierra de Cazorla and misplaced a minute to Roglič, with even his teammate Felix Gall leaving him to experience alone in opposition to the savage gradients of the climb.
When requested if he thought Gall ready would have modified the margin, O’Connor dismissed the notion. “He already waited for me on this climb, after which the ultimate six or seven kilometres had been at 10% and it would not have modified something. I used to be already going backwards,” O’Connor mentioned.”I used to be fairly common that day.”
In the meantime, O’Connor spoke with excessive reward of Gall’s help on stage 9. “I believe yesterday, we had been actually, actually good collectively,” he mentioned. “I believe for a man like him, you may management mountain-top finishes very well. And I believe he may also be an aggressive individual if he must be too within the race.”
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O’Connor’s third-place end forward of Roglič not solely provided a nominal time bonus acquire in his race lead however despatched a press release that he was able to managing the race from the entrance. Talking in regards to the stage, O’Connor thought-about it a much bigger second by way of his confidence in holding the race lead.
“Once I received the stage, I took the jersey, however I by no means had any strain for holding the jersey by that time,” he mentioned. “However then yesterday was a totally completely different story, you realize, and I used to be managing the race, controlling it with the boys and doing a extremely good job.”
Whereas commentators are more and more contemplating O’Connor a viable race winner, the Australian was extra cautious in his aspirations.
Talking of a podium spot in Madrid, he mentioned “I might prefer to, however you may’t be disillusioned when you do not deserve it. The individuals who end on podiums, regardless of the place you end on GC is the place you deserve. So if it finally ends up being there, then I will be proud.”
O’Connor’s tenure of the pink jersey can be bittersweet for Decathlon–AG2R La Mondiale, because the race lead marks a excessive level in O’Connor’s profession however in what be the rider’s ultimate race earlier than he joins Jayco-AlUla for the 2025 season.
“I might say that is for me – that is the spotlight of being with this staff,” O’Connor mentioned. “It has been essentially the most pleasurable expertise I’ve had while right here, and I’ve had some improbable reminiscences with the staff of the Tour and a number of different races all through.
“However for certain, that is the cherry on the cake.”
