After a number of days of attempting on this Tour de France, and numerous extra in his earlier two Excursions, Ben O’Connor (Jayco AlUla) scored a long-awaited victory on stage 18 of the 2025 race, attacking at simply the best second to take a solo win atop the Col de la Loze.
Like he has accomplished on 4 different events on this race, O’Connor was within the day’s predominant breakaway, however when that was caught over the Col de la Madeleine, he regrouped, reassessed, and did not hand over.
Becoming a member of the yellow jersey group on the descent, the Australian bided his time after which put in a searing, one-push assault on the flat earlier than the Col de la Loze, going away with Einer Rubio (Movistar) and Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike).
You might like
Again in a doubtlessly successful place, and figuring out he had the legs this time, he duly dropped his companions, and soloed to his first victory on this race since Tignes in 2021.
After seeing his GC ambitions fall away within the first week – not for the primary time on the Tour – successful a stage was the salve O’Connor has been looking for.
“It is a fairly merciless race,” he stated about his maybe love-hate relationship with the Tour.
“I’ve simply discovered myself on the deck within the first two days a couple of occasions however probably not from my very own fault. On stage 1 right here, it completely wasn’t my fault. I used to be simply taken out. In Copenhagen, similar factor, dash end, two ks to go, crash in entrance of me, nowhere to go. And then you definately had the signal crash in 2021, the Opi Omi one, so the primary couple of days actually have not handled me properly in any respect on this race earlier than.
The newest race content material, interviews, options, evaluations and skilled shopping for guides, direct to your inbox!
“However I’ve additionally gained right here earlier than in 2021, I have been fourth general, I’ve nearly gained a couple of occasions earlier than within the final couple of years,” he continued. “So getting it accomplished immediately means quite a bit to me and I am fairly happy with myself and the staff.”
Extra than simply getting it accomplished, it was the best way during which O’Connor gained which galvanized, getting back from being caught to go once more. The Australian has been the primary to say that levels are gained on legs not ways at this race up to now, however on Thursday, it was a clear-headed plan from him and the staff automotive that delivered the win.
“Me and Mathew Hayman had a little bit of a dialogue on the descent of Madeleine, determining ‘what do I do? How are you going to win from this example?'” he defined. “You’ve got received nothing to lose, and if you are going to win, you need to go from the underside of the valley. Hopefully, with Matteo, that was the principle factor, and that is what occurred. Actually then to the highest of Col de la Loze it was a reasonably simple affair, you both had it otherwise you did not.”
He definitely did have it, and after “creating his personal luck”, as Hayman put it to TNT Sports activities, O’Connor performed the Tour’s Queen stage to perfection, one thing constructed off a number of years of expertise.
“It was the right situation for me to win in the long run, figuring out that I really had the legs immediately, in comparison with different days within the race,” he stated. We received to the underside of the climb [Col de la Loze] and it was already just about 5 thousand energy burned, after two large, large climbs, and that is on the backside of the climb so there was one other hour to go.
“So it was a type of conditions the place I do know I am good in that situation and it is all about managing your effort, managing additionally while you eliminate your fellow breakaway compatriot, and you need to make certain that that is going to be the best transfer to kick off and go it alone. I’ve just about at all times gained solo, so I feel I’ve received a reasonably good knack now of determining when to go or not.”
O’Connor is now as much as tenth general, with the time he gained in Courchevel, however for the rider who has completed fourth right here earlier than, a stage win is way more essential than any extra minor GC positions.
“Sure, undoubtedly,” he stated when requested if successful a stage is best for him than ending someplace within the prime 10. “If you happen to go away right here ending seventh or eighth and never having gained a stage or been shut, then I might say personally sure.
“Due to what I’ve accomplished previously, you set the usual to your greatest efficiency. So getting your arms up within the air is for certain essentially the most pleasant factor. It is solely while you full a GC and you’ve got accomplished the right race your self and also you’re happy with each day that you have tapped it out and ticked the packing containers, then it offers you a unique sort of satisfaction. So I am so relieved to really get it accomplished immediately.”
Extra than simply marking an essential, long-awaited win for O’Connor, Thursday’s victory can be his first for his new staff, and their first on this Tour, after coming shut on a number of events, which was an achievement the Perth rider was happy to tick off.
“I have been loving my time right here at Jayco-AlUla and it is about time I lastly received an enormous outcome on the board being an Aussie rider on an Aussie staff,” he stated. “So this goes out to everybody inside the staff itself, all of the girls and boys, to say thanks very a lot.”
The Tour de France is the most important race in biking, and a Cyclingnews subscription affords you limitless entry to our unrivalled protection. Get all of the breaking information and evaluation from our staff on the bottom in France, plus the newest professional tech, reside race stories, and a every day subscriber-only publication with unique perception into the motion. Discover out extra.
