When Ben O’Connor left the sector behind on stage 6, he didn’t foresee the sizeable grasp on the maillot rojo and total race lead that he carried into the Vuelta a España’s first relaxation day, and neither did his rivals.
Sitting 3:53 forward of race favorite Primož Roglič (Crimson Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), O’Connor’s margin was thought of a niche left to get “out of hand” on stage 6, however together with his robust defence of the jersey on Sunday’s stage 9 the Australian rider all of a sudden looks like a significant risk to the general win.
“I do not actually really feel that a lot strain within the purple jersey, to be trustworthy,” O’Connor mentioned in his characteristically laid-back style in his workforce press convention on Monday afternoon.
“It’s sort of surprising,” he continued. “I by no means considered after the good jersey right here on the Vuelta a España and a few folks by no means have the prospect to put on a pacesetter’s jersey at a Grand Tour.” “Many GC guys additionally by no means have the prospect. So I am simply having fun with it and truly simply loving racing from the entrance, figuring out they’re main the race and it is as much as different folks to make the strikes, relatively than myself.”
These strikes got here onerous on stage 8 when O’Connor suffered on the ascent of Sierra de Cazorla and misplaced a minute to Roglič, with even his teammate Felix Gall leaving him to experience alone towards the savage gradients of the climb.
When requested if he thought Gall ready would have modified the margin, O’Connor dismissed the notion. “He already waited for me on this climb, after which the ultimate six or seven kilometres had been at 10% and it would not have modified something. I used to be already going backwards,” O’Connor mentioned.”I used to be fairly common that day.”
In the meantime, O’Connor spoke with excessive reward of Gall’s assist on stage 9. “I believe yesterday, we had been actually, actually good collectively,” he mentioned. “I believe for a man like him, you’ll be able to management mountain-top finishes rather well. And I believe he can be an aggressive particular person if he must be too within the race.”
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O’Connor’s third-place end forward of Roglič not solely supplied a nominal time bonus acquire in his race lead however despatched an announcement that he was able to managing the race from the entrance. Talking in regards to the stage, O’Connor thought of it a much bigger second by way of his confidence in holding the race lead.
“Once I gained the stage, I took the jersey, however I by no means had any strain for holding the jersey by that time,” he mentioned. “However then yesterday was a totally completely different story, you recognize, and I used to be managing the race, controlling it with the boys and doing a extremely good job.”
Whereas commentators are more and more contemplating O’Connor a viable race winner, the Australian was extra cautious in his aspirations.
Talking of a podium spot in Madrid, he mentioned “I would prefer to, however you’ll be able to’t be disenchanted in the event you do not deserve it. The individuals who end on podiums, regardless of the place you end on GC is the place you deserve. So if it finally ends up being there, then I will be proud.”
O’Connor’s tenure of the purple jersey can be bittersweet for Decathlon–AG2R La Mondiale, because the race lead marks a excessive level in O’Connor’s profession however in what be the rider’s closing race earlier than he joins Jayco-AlUla for the 2025 season.
“I would say that is for me – that is the spotlight of being with this workforce,” O’Connor mentioned. “It has been probably the most satisfying expertise I’ve had while right here, and I’ve had some incredible reminiscences with the workforce of the Tour and a number of different races all through.
“However for certain, that is the cherry on the cake.”