To add insult to inconvenience, Ben O’Connor had lastly descended Lagos de Covadonga for the second time on Tuesday night when he discovered that he had been fined 1000CHF and docked 20 UCI factors for his troubles after stage 16 of the Vuelta a España.
The cost – “failing to attend official ceremonies or failing to respect the 10-minute deadline after the rider crosses the end line” – felt relatively like over-zealous officialdom manifest. At least a number of the duty absolutely lay with the race organisation, who did not have a chaperone available to marshal O’Connor from the end line to the rostrum a number of hundred metres beneath the summit.
No matter, O’Connor bore the ordeal with good grace when he arrived within the combined zone in Arnuero earlier than the beginning of stage 17, making gentle of the couple of hours he misplaced to descending Lagos de Covadonga after which getting a police escort again up once more.
“The bathe was a bit late, however I really arrived on the resort concurrently the boys, so it wasn’t the worst,” O’Connor smiled, although he confessed to being a little bit vexed by the sanction handed down. “It’s not like I intentionally skipped it or selected to overlook it. I nonetheless got here again up. But they deal it out as they do, so I am unable to actually say the rest about it, to be honest.”
O’Connor’s athletic efficiency on Lagos de Covadonga was, just like the rider himself after the stage, considerably misplaced in all that fog, however he did sufficient on the Vuelta’s sacred mountain to carry onto the crimson jersey by 5 seconds from Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe).
“Yeah, however I’d undoubtedly have preferred extra seconds,” O’Connor stated. “It’s a little bit of a disgrace as a result of, in the long run, I believe I did not do this dangerous of a experience on Covadonga. In the top, I simply suppose everybody in entrance did some superb driving.”
Despite a slender lead and miserably moist situations, O’Connor’s maillot rojo was by no means beneath any actual risk on the highway to Santander on stage 17. The Australian reached the end safely in the primary peloton, although he was with out the providers of his traditional bodyguard in conditions like this, Sander De Pastel.
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“Sadly, he needed to go away the race this morning, so it was a little bit of a disgrace to overlook him on days like at the moment,” O’Connor stated within the press convention truck in Santander. “Today we had Clément Berthet and Valentin Paret-Peintre on the entrance, however I believe Clément had a motorbike drawback on the end, so in the long run I used to be sort of floating by way of the wheels.”
Worlds
The tight margins however, O’Connor will probably be favoured to make one other journey to the rostrum in Maestu after stage 18, however he is aware of this race will probably be finally determined by the summit finishes on the Alto de Moncalvillo and Picón Blanco, in addition to the ultimate time trial in Madrid.
“I’m going to maintain on going like I’ve executed this complete race,” O’Connor stated of his strategy from right here. “With grit, dedication and sort of grovelling by way of, I’ve saved this jersey so long as I can, and hopefully it will probably keep on my shoulders for a number of extra days.”
O’Connor confirmed on Wednesday night that the Vuelta can be his last race with Decathlon-AG2R earlier than his transfer to Jayco-Alula. His solely remaining competitors in 2024 would come on the UCI Road World Championships in Zurich, the place he plans to experience the highway race, time trial and combined relay. “To drag the season out to October can be like placing a knife in me a little bit bit,” he smiled.
Even with out that imminent switch, it is laborious to shake off the sense that O’Connor’s Vuelta efficiency marks a defining second in his profession. He already demonstrated his aptitude for three-week racing with fourth-place finishes on the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia, however this Vuelta, nonetheless it performs out from right here, has the texture of a turning level.
“Maybe it’s defining, due to the size I’ve had the jersey, which is tremendous particular,” O’Connor stated. “Having this chief’s jersey and having the ability to maintain it for such a very long time is a really particular factor. You actually solely have that shot should you can win the race.
“And hopefully I can discover myself in that place sooner or later, preventing to win Grand Tours. I’ve been near the rostrum in Grand Tours earlier than, however I’ve by no means had the possibility to put on a jersey. So I assume you might be proper, it is a particular second for me.”
With Roglič and Enric Mas closing in, nonetheless, it stays to be seen fairly how particular the second will show to be. Not for the primary time this week, O’Connor was requested to price his prospects of defending the crimson jersey all the way in which to Madrid. “I imply, I’d say in all probability low,” he stated. “But you by no means know with biking.”