Ben O’Connor, From Perth to the Tour podium ?

In 2022, at the dawn of the 109th Tour de France, the French team AG2R Citroën Team comes with the ambition of a podium in the general classification. Despite the departure of Romain Bardet at the end 2020, Vincent Lavenu's training quickly regained its ambitions to shine in the general classification of the Big loop, thanks to the presence since 2021 from an Australian runner Perth native : Ben O’Connor.

He started cycling at 17 years

Ben O'Connor was not one of those talented runners who dominated his junior years. It is nothing. Indeed, the latter comes from afar. The Perth native, after having been a good middle-distance runner during his adolescence, begins its history with the bicycle very late in 2013, at the age of 17 years. The young O'Connor already displays some talent, by winning several criteria. He was then found by a recognized trainer in Australia, un certain Wayne Evans. The latter is impressed by the talent, Ben's engine, when he sees it for the first time during a time trial :

“He didn’t have a specific time trial wheel, no extensions, nothing. He achieved a time of 56 minutes and it was for the first time that I had noticed it. I said to myself : “Wow but who is this guy ? », he comes out of nowhere and has just set a time of 56 minutes with no equipment suitable for the time trial”.

Wayne Evans, recounting his first encounter with Ben O'Connor.

Following this meeting, Ben O’Connor, as a hobbyist, joined the reserve team of the Satalyst-Giant Racing Team in 2014. Showing great potential, he joined the first team the following year. He thus entered the world of professional cycling at 20 years.

A hope of Australian cycling.

In 2015, for his professional debut with Australian outfit Navitas Satalyst Racing Team, Ben O'Connor is going to do some good results, one 17^{The Tour of the Pays de Vaud} room at Philippines Tour and an 16^{The Tour of the Pays de Vaud} place in the general classification of Tour of Qinghai Lake. A decent year, where the Australian displays obvious qualities in the mountains. Qualities that he will confirm the following year. Indeed, During this year 2016, the Perth native will reveal himself, by winning the New Zealand Cycle Classic, thanks to his victory in the queen stage, at the top of theAdmiral Hill.

He also ranks third in the Taiwan Tower but also of Tour of Savoy Mont Blanc, just behind cycling's great hopes Tao Geoghegan Hart and Enric Mas. Its very promising results, and its potential attract the attention of some World Tour teams, including the South African team Dimension Data. Ben O'Connor will sign with this team at the end of 2016. A 21 years, the latter then joined the elite of cycling. He will then carry out a transition season there., discovering some of the greatest classics, dont The Fleche Wallonne, and The Dean of the Classics. He wins a victory, during the Tour of Austria that it will end at 5^{The Tour of the Pays de Vaud} place in the general classification, and ranks 20^{The Tour of the Pays de Vaud} from Tour of Poland.

In 2018, progressing from year to year, Ben O'Connor will measure himself for the first time against the greatest climbers of his time. Indeed, after ranking 11^{The Tour of the Pays de Vaud} of the statement Catalonia Tour, he will make a very big Tour of the Alps. He will finish 7th overall, and will win the third stage, under the nose and beard of the future favorites of the Round, dont Thibaut Pinot, or even Chris Froome.

Le Tour of Italy, precisely who will follow the Tour of the Alps few weeks later, will be the first Grand Tour contested by Ben O’Connor. The Australian, inexperienced in this, will hang in the mountain steps, ranking 12^{The Tour of the Pays de Vaud} of the general classification on the evening of the 18^{The Tour of the Pays de Vaud} stage. But the next day, during the next step, he fractured his collarbone on the descent from the Col de Sestrières. Tour of Italy over for Ben O'Connor.

A crossing of the desert (fin 2018-2019).

A few months after his broken collarbone, Ben O'Connor returns at the end of the season, on the occasion of Twalloon bear. However, it will produce much worse results than in spring 2018, ending it with an abandonment on the Tour of Lombardy.

The year 2019 what followed will be a real way of the cross for the Australian. He then multiplies the counter-performances and does not confirm his talent glimpsed during the first part of 2018. During the Round, it ends at a sluggish 32^{The Tour of the Pays de Vaud} place, whose best stage result is a 17^{The Tour of the Pays de Vaud} place of the time trial of the 9^{The Tour of the Pays de Vaud} stage dominated by Primoz Roglic. During his first Tour of Spain, it doesn't do much better. He will finish 25^{The Tour of the Pays de Vaud} in the general classification, with the only conclusive result of 6^{The Tour of the Pays de Vaud} place acquired during the 15^{The Tour of the Pays de Vaud} stage, leading to the top of Holly Shrine, behind other climbers eliminated like him from the race for the Red jersey.

Overwhelmed physically and mentally, he would later admit to having lived through a difficult period on the psychological level, which even pushed him to consider the end of his career just 24 years!

 

" On this Return I really hated cycling. The first week of racing was my worst since riding a bike. I even said to myself ”maybe I better quit if it doesn't get better next year”. »

Comments by Ben O'Connor reported by Cyclingnews, and translated by Dauphine Libere

Return to high level, and even better !

After a year 2019 very difficult, Ben O'Connor will from the following year get up and show a mental champion. He makes a start of the year 2020 correct, by winning the queen stage of the Star of Bessèges, at the top of Mont-Bouquet. This victory is the first sign of his return to the fore, and despite the cessation of sports competitions due to the Covid-19 pandemic, he approaches his career with more confidence. During the return from the races at the end of July, O’Connor makes a timid comeback at the Burgos Tower, then hardly exists at Criterium of the Dauphiné. He then continues with the Tour of Italy, his big goal for the season.

It is during the third participation in this Grand Tour that he will display his return to the high level. Indeed, the Aussie will impress observers in week three : after ranking 2^{The Tour of the Pays de Vaud} from 16^{The Tour of the Pays de Vaud} stage, beaten in the sprint by Jan Tratnik, he distances his breakaway companions during the next stage, during the ascent of the Madonna di Campiglio, and takes his first victory in a Grand Tour. He follows up the good results with a 15^{The Tour of the Pays de Vaud} room for Cancano lakes, after impressing in the Col du Stelvio, and another 15^{The Tour of the Pays de Vaud} place in Sestriere. Ce Tour of Italy, that it ends at 20^{The Tour of the Pays de Vaud} place in the general classification, revives a career that had hitherto been poorly embarked.

His performance during Round 2020 opened the eyes of the French formation AG2R Citroën Team, who signs it for a year initially. He leaves the NTT team after 4 seasons of good and loyal service.

In 2021, Ben O'Connor continues his march forward, and shows potential as an overall runner : 12^{The Tour of the Pays de Vaud} at Paris Nice, 6^{The Tour of the Pays de Vaud} from Tour of Romandie, with a second place on the queen stage leading to Thyon 2000, and 8^{The Tour of the Pays de Vaud} of one Criterium rather raised. He presents himself at the start of his first Tour de France with smiles and confidence. But the first week will bring him back to earth : he has a difficult first week due to a fall during the first stage. He then realizes the difficulty of the biggest race in the world :

"The first week was a rather bad experience for me.. I had stitches, I thought my race was over after the first day. I realized how much Tour was a brutal experience”.

Ben O'Connor during his Eurosport interview in March 2022

But O'Connor is not discouraged. He shines in the Alps and masterfully wins the 9^{The Tour of the Pays de Vaud} stage, where he celebrates on the line at Tignes with 5 minutes ahead of second, the Italian Mattia Cattaneo. A feat that allows him to move up to second place in the general classification, behind the untouchable Tadej Pogačar. Ben O’Connor will then resist the next mountainous stages of this Tour and make a good impression in the Pyrenees, by ranking 5^{The Tour of the Pays de Vaud} of the stage leading to Col du Portet.

He finishes the Tour at the foot of the podium, behind Pogacar, Vingegaard and Carapaz. The Australian shows for the first time at 25 years that he is a Grand Tour rider. Tired of its awesome Tour de France, Ben O'Connor will subsequently perform less well. He will end his season with a retirement on the Emilia Tower.

A runner respected and appreciated by his peers.

A 26 years, Ben O'Connor has become a cador in world cycling. He changed dimension thanks to his performances during his first Tour de France, and he is aware of it:

“I think the look of the peloton has also changed towards me. I think the runners respect me now and recognize my work. ».

Ben O’Connor, interviewed by Manuel Martinez of the sports daily l'Equipe

A runner respected and especially appreciated by his teammates. Indeed, the Australian is very well integrated into the AG2R Citroën Team training, whose attraction for French heritage and gastronomy was for something. The sports directors of the French team praise his qualities, including Julien Jurdie, which perfectly illustrates the positive impact of Ben within the team:

“He brings his smile, his relaxation, his professionalism. All these elements, all these values ​​that are dear to the team. This determination to fight, never to let go, It will be the same on Tirreno-Adriatico then on the Tour of the Alps… I think last year, on the roads of the Tour, this extraordinary mind… Ben has demonstrated it. »

Julien Jurdie praises the qualities of his rider.

Can he be on the Tour podium ?

In 2022, after spending a harsh winter and “studious”, Ben O’Connor wants to prove he is definitely one of the elite climbers of the World Tour, and that his 4^{The Tour of the Pays de Vaud} room at Tour de France 2021 was no accident. He first wanted to win a stage as a boss in a race WorldTour. That's what he will do, by winning the 3^{The Tour of the Pays de Vaud} stage of Catalonia Tour that he will finish 5^{The Tour of the Pays de Vaud}, at the top of La Molina. O’Connor will rank next 5^{The Tour of the Pays de Vaud} from Tour of Romandie.

But his strongest impression will remain the Criterium of the Dauphiné, that he is playing for the fourth time. Came back very fit from an altitude training course in the Sierra Nevada, it will show huge mountain level, that he had never had before, and will be the only rider to get closer to the untouchable duo of the Jumbo-Visma: Roglic and Vingegaard.  3^{The Tour of the Pays de Vaud}favorites to Vaujany, by only giving in 2 seconds to Vingegaard, the Australian will confirm his current form, when he only gives in 15 seconds to these two runners, during the ascent of the Plateau de Solaison. Two huge performances that will allow him to rank 3^{The Tour of the Pays de Vaud} from Dauphiné, a few weeks from the Tour de France.

A 26 years, Ben O'Connor has never been stronger and probably hasn't reached his full potential. Le 1^is next July, he will present himself well on the streets of Copenhagen as a contender for a podium, in the biggest race in the world. Certainly, he will face the double winner coming out of the Tour, Tadej Pogačar, and the duo of the yellow and black formation led by Richard Plugge. These three runners are clearly superior to him. He will also face other “outsiders” to his measure, comme Aleksandr Vlasov or Geraint Thomas. But the Tour can give rise to surprises as we have known in the past.