A devastatingly highly effective, lengthy breakaway by Ben O’Connor within the Vuelta a España produced one of many greatest upsets of current years, because the Australian pole-vaulted forward of main favorite Primoz Roglič on the final classification to grab the general lead by almost 5 minutes.
O’Connor had a lot to rejoice as he crossed the end line within the small village of Yunqueras excessive within the sierras of Málaga in southern Spain. This was his first win within the Vuelta to finish his set of Grand Tour stage wins, his first-ever Grand Tour chief’s jersey and an total benefit, that after shedding time on the Pico Villuercas summit end, now makes the Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale racer a severe contender for total victory.
Previously twenty third total, O’Connor’s leap of twenty-two locations on GC due to expertly infiltrating a mid-week break after which going it alone within the final 27 kilometres means he has change into the primary Australian to steer the Vuelta since Rohan Dennis gained the opening TT again in 2018.
But the higher comparability is definitely that he might be the primary Australian to take total victory in a Grand Tour since fellow Perth-man Jai Hindley within the Giro d’Italia again in 2022.
The comparisons with Sepp Kuss in 2023 are inevitable, each when it comes to how O’Connor made it into crimson, and his undoubted capacity within the excessive mountains too. But not like Kuss in 2023, O’Connor already has a major observe document in total rivalry in Grand Tours, too, taking fourth within the Giro d’Italia this 12 months and fourth within the Tour de France again in 2021, to not point out seventh within the Vuelta again in 2022.
Asked how he considered his probabilities of successful, the 28-year-old smiled and stated merely, “Maybe. It’s a very good hole to have and I’m not so dangerous on lengthy climbs.
“It’s going to be difficult, I didn’t count on to be main this race and it’ll be a brand new expertise for this workforce. So I’m not considering any additional than that. For now I’m going to take pleasure in this second,” he stated.
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“It’s an incredible alternative and may solely occur as soon as in my profession. So I’m going to like and revel in each single second and take it so far as I can. I’ve gained a stage, I’ve obtained the jersey. So now I’ll simply do greatest I can for the remainder of this race.”
O’Connor admitted that removed from wanting on the GC, his preliminary goal when getting within the break had been to go for a win and full his set of Grand Tour stage victories, and on the identical time put his profession tally of triumphs into double figures, too.
“That was my principal purpose, personally, to win a stage. I actually wished to have that little bit of an ego journey, it was all the time on my thoughts. The manner issues performed out at present, it was an aggressive race and we needed to take it from the entrance.”
It was a totally completely different situation, he stated, to the 2021 Giro d’Italia stage to Oropa, the place he had tried to stay with future total winner Tadej Pogačar when the Slovenian star attacked, and misplaced important time in consequence.
“It’s utterly unrelatable, the Pogi day was one with the GC boys, I cracked and exploded. Today was absolutely the reverse. It took ages for the break to type, it was a super-hard slog of a day, however I used to be chasing a possibility and I wished to check if the groups began chasing me down. If they didn’t, it was an awesome alternative.”
Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe actually had let it’s recognized that they have been glad for a break to go. However, as lead Sports Director Patxi Vila informed Spanish TV, permitting O’Connor, a transparent GC menace, to realize a lot time, represented a severe under-estimation of the Australian’s energy.
By the top of the stage, O’Connor stated, his purpose had switched from merely going for the triumph of the day to seeing how a lot he may acquire for a longer-term purpose and his GC bid.
“All the way in which up the final climb I used to be enthusiastic about how a lot time I may tackle GC,” he defined. “I knew I used to be going to win the stage once I dropped the man from DSM, and from then on it was all about maximizing time to complete line, what can I do all the way in which up.
“In any case,” he added with a smile and maybe referring to Lennert van Eetvelt’s overly early victory celebration within the stage to Villuercas, “it’s all the time greatest to not rejoice on the finish.”
O’Connor paid a lot shorter shrift to at least one query concerning the imminent exit of longstanding Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale boss Vincent Lavenu from the squad, saying, “The workforce have stated sufficient about that, I simply wish to take pleasure in my win.”
O’Connor will in any case quickly be leaving the French workforce subsequent 12 months, too, for Jayco-AIUIa. He was extra forthcoming about his underlying situation and build-up to the Vuelta.
“I all the time knew I used to be good. I haven’t been racing a lot, however I used to be prepared for this race, it was my second goal of my season to have the ability to combat for this sort of success. And this win simply exhibits how a lot that tough work has paid off.”
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