The crimson jersey of the Vuelta a España was misplaced within the mists of Lagos de Covadonga, simply not in the best way anyone anticipated. Ben O’Connor did simply sufficient to cling to first place general on stage 16, however a breakdown in communication on the end left the race organisation frantically making an attempt to find the Australian for the rostrum ceremony.
O’Connor’s fatigue was evident when he spilled throughout the road on the summit, 4:52 down on stage winner Marc Soler (UAE Workforce Emirates) however, crucially, just below a minute down on Primož Roglič (Crimson Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe). That meant he would retain the crimson jersey by 5 seconds, however it wasn’t instantly clear from O’Connor’s physique language if he was conscious of that reality.
Then once more, chasing shadows via rain and mist on the Vuelta’s most emblematic mountaintop tends to depart everyone, winners and losers alike, with a haunted type of a glance. It takes some time for sounds to solidify into phrases, and longer nonetheless for phrases to register as concrete info.
After O’Connor was helped right into a raincoat by a soigneur, he turned and descended again down the mountain. The rostrum was a kilometre or so from the end line, however O’Connor, it appeared, was by no means alerted to that reality. He rode on down the mountainside, previous the Lago de Enol and down the twisting, forested street that led in the direction of the staff bus parking, some 14km away on the best way to Cangas de Onís.
When O’Connor lastly bought there, he was knowledgeable that his companies had been required all the best way again up the mountain for the rostrum ceremony, doping management and press convention. O’Connor later confirmed that he knew he was nonetheless the race chief on the end line, however he merely hadn’t been given clear directions about the place he was imagined to go subsequent.
Beside the rostrum, Decathlon AG2R’s Michaële Cernela was liaising with Vuelta officers after establishing cellphone contact with O’Connor. She confirmed that O’Connor was sitting in a staff automobile able to climb to Lagos de Covadonga as soon as once more, and two police motorcyclists had been dispatched to seek out the automobile and supply an escort.
The journey was difficult, nonetheless, because the tail finish of the bike race was nonetheless climbing Lagos de Covandonga. As soon as the final rider crossed the road, in the meantime, the multitudes who had gathered on the mountainside started to make their means again down once more.
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It was near seven o’clock when the distant pressure of police sirens ultimately heralded O’Connor’s arrival. He emerged shortly afterwards from the passenger seat of a Decathlon automobile, nonetheless in his moist equipment, and he clambered onto the rostrum for a brisk and really belated ceremony earlier than the handful of spectators who had lingered even after Soler and the opposite jersey wearers had gone.
“I would like to alter, I’m fucking freezing,” O’Connor referred to as out as he descended from the rostrum. A cabin was made obtainable as an impromptu dressing room earlier than he stood beneath a cover and talked reporters via the stage and its uncommon aftermath.
“I used to be informed to descend all the way down to the underside and I descended all the best way all the way down to the underside, however then I used to be informed to return again up. That was a bit irritating to be sincere,” O’Connor stated. “I may undoubtedly do with a sizzling bathe now, I’m completely freezing.”
Lagos de Covadonga
The stage itself will need to have appeared a distant reminiscence by that time. O’Connor was first distanced when Enric Mas accelerated with a shade underneath 7km remaining, ultimately bringing Roglič, Richard Carapaz and David Gaudu with him. Though O’Connor restricted his losses effectively, it nonetheless seemed as if he would lose his jersey on the higher reaches of the climb. He caught resolutely to his activity, nonetheless, and a late surge was sufficient to save lots of crimson by 5 meagre seconds.
“Exhausting,” was O’Connor’s succinct appraisal of the climb. “I didn’t have any energy [data] right this moment, so I had no concept what I used to be doing, however I felt truly fairly robust to be sincere – however clearly not robust sufficient.”
Even so, O’Connor did sufficient to increase his grip on the crimson jersey, and he paid tribute to the efforts of Valentin Paret-Peintre on the lengthy haul to Lagos de Covadonga, the place Mikel Landa was the primary of the GC males to go on the offensive with 9km to go.
“I used to be fairly worn on the end,” O’Connor stated. “Valentin was actually, actually robust right this moment, I’m grateful for him to be again like he was on the Giro. Everybody on our staff is tremendous proud, it’s been an expertise that we actually haven’t had earlier than. To have 11 days within the crimson jersey already to this point has been a reasonably candy expertise for us all.”
There’s each likelihood O’Connor’s presence will probably be required for the rostrum ceremony in Santander on Wednesday afternoon too, although he struck a be aware of resignation when requested about his prospects of keeping off Roglič and firm all the best way to Madrid.
“I’ve the crimson jersey for tomorrow, so I’ll attempt to soak it up and revel in it as a lot as I can as a result of I’m unsure it is going to final that lengthy,” O’Connor stated. “I’ll in all probability preserve it tomorrow, perhaps the day after. I’d be shocked on Friday. However in the long run, it’s been a reasonably good spell within the crimson jersey. Eleven days to this point, so hopefully I can have it for a pair extra and attempt to maximise it to one of the best that I can.”
If O’Connor does retain crimson, one can solely hope the pathway from end line to podium is clearly indicated.
“I’m not joyful, I can inform you that,” he laughed when requested in regards to the ordeal after the stage. “I’m making an attempt to placed on a courageous face, however internally I’m a bit pissed.”
Even so, the crimson jersey isn’t misplaced simply but.
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