“Wherever however fourth” was how Ben O’Connor described his GC targets within the Vuelta a España earlier than the race and the Australian greater than achieved that objective with a second place total in Madrid that topped a milestone three-week efficiency in his profession.
The Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale racer not solely claimed a surprising solo stage win within the first week of the Vuelta, he then managed to defend the Vuelta lead he’d concurrently captured for 13 days, solely lastly ceding it to total winner Primoz Roglič (Purple Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) on stage 19 on the Moncalvillo.
However quite than throw within the towel after shedding the lead, O’Connor continued within the Vuelta GC battle to the bitter finish, and eleventh on the ultimate time trial stage, too, meant the person from Perth even ended the Vuelta with a strengthened total benefit of 41 seconds over third-placed Enric Mas (Movistar).
Rewarded along with his first ever Grand Tour podium at 28 for his tenacious and hard-fought efficiency in Spain, the 28-year-old will now head to new staff Jayco-AIUIa in 2025 with renewed hopes he can battle for a Grand Tour victory sooner or later, too.
“It’s a little bit of a dream, I’ve been shut earlier than however to get it now’s such a tremendous factor,” O’Connor, beforehand fourth total within the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France earlier than lastly cracking a GC podium on the Vuelta, informed reporters on the end line.
Referring to how he had managed to battle his approach second total within the Vuelta, he argued that “It was maybe unconventional, however I assume it was simply within the spirit of grit to get via to it to in the present day and end it off with this TT in the present day. So I’m fairly happy with the way it went down.”
The ultimate time trial itself had been the final piece of the Vuelta GC jigsaw, O’Connor argued, and though it might hardly have gone higher in Madrid, he did level out that he’s finished some strong races towards the clock previously.
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“It’s positively higher in comparison with [the stage 1 TT in] Lisbon, I don’t know what occurred there, so it was good to place this one right down to the truth that I believed I might,” he argued.
“I used to be nervous this morning, my coach really flew in final evening to be within the staff automotive, I can’t thank him sufficient for calming my nerves a little bit bit. So it’s plenty of strain off my shoulders as a result of there’s all the time been the load of private expectation.”
Outcomes aside, preventing for second total and sustaining the chief’s jersey has been a serious studying curve for O’Connor, he recognised.
“I’ve to belief the method, typically you don’t belief your intestine, and different instances you possibly can in all probability be a bit smarter and never belief your intestine as nicely. So I feel it’s about selecting your moments in Grand Excursions and that’s in all probability the important thing takeaway,” he mentioned.
Relating to the query of how he values his second place behind Roglič, O’Connor had little question that quite than a specific quantity, “For me second is a win.”
“I used to be actually shocked I might get to stage 19 nonetheless carrying the crimson jersey, and it’s fairly good to have the sensation that sooner or later that you would perhaps win a GT.”
“That’s one thing I’d in all probability have discovered unrealistic earlier than, particularly after the Giro. So to be so shut right here is fairly particular.”
As for his prospects of ending on the rostrum within the Vuelta, he mentioned in the course of the race he had thought that it was doable, “however I wasn’t satisfied I used to be capable of get via each single day. After Granada [stage 9] I had plenty of confidence, however within the second a part of the second week, I suffered a good bit.”
Dropping the jersey ultimately to Roglič was he mentioned, a second that was “a very long time coming. However I had no indignant emotions, I didn’t count on to have the crimson jersey and to have it for 2 weeks, so ultimately, as I’ve mentioned in fairly a number of interviews, the dream was to get on a podium. Profitable it, although, is one thing else to ending second or third.”
There was no level the place he hit a serious disaster, he mentioned. Nonetheless, each the ultra-steep slopes of Ancares [stage 15] the place he had a troublesome day and on the Moncalvillo [stage 19], the place Roglič turned in an exceptionally robust efficiency to reclaim the lead and O’Connor misplaced practically two minutes, have been extraordinarily powerful moments. Or as he put it with a wry smile, “Moncalvillo was the place I hit reverse gear.”
“However there was by no means a second once I fully exploded. However Primoz was a deserving winner and he deserves to win this Vuelta a España.”
O’Connor could also be trying to battle for a Grand Tour victory sooner or later however he stays along with his toes on the bottom. Requested if he thought he might ever beat Tadej Pogačar or Jonas Vingegaard or certainly Roglič, he answered merely – ‘No.’
However as he had defined earlier concerning the Vuelta, “I actually didn’t assume I used to be going to win this race. I might see it [losing the red] coming for some time as a result of ultimately, I wasn’t ok to win the race. However I used to be all the time ok to be on the rostrum and ultimately I used to be within the mindset of limiting my losses. That’s what the principle goal was.”
“Within the final two days, although, I’ve actually put collectively a race which I feel I may be actually happy with, on each the climbs and within the time trial. It’s a very stunning approach to end off the race being happy with your efforts.”
“So to complete on the Vuelta podium is a dream come true, it’s one thing I’ve been chasing for the final couple of years, and to get it ultimately is wonderful.”
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