At the start of today's Paris-Nice two high-profile names have not taken to the start, one of them being defending champion Max Schachmann and the other being AG2R Citroën Team leader Ben O'Connor who had done a very good race so far.
The 26-year old Australian has abandoned the French race due to flu symptoms. He has so far been riding a strong race, well supported by the team on stage two's crosswinds and well within contention for the overall classification. His recovery time should be short and he will be eyeing the Volta a Catalunya with good form which starts in less than two weeks. "Ben O'Connor is feverish and his condition does not allow him to continue such a demanding event as Paris-Nice. In consultation with the team's medical manager, we have decided to withdraw him from the race. It is of course a blow because Ben has shown good form since the start of the race, and had concrete ambitions for the general classification;" team general manager Vincent Lavenu has said this morning.
"With Aurélien Paret-Peintre and Clément Champoussin, we still have the necessary assets for the team to continue to be a player in Paris-Nice," he concluded. Although Champoussin has not lost time on the overall classification towards many of his rivals, today's time-trial and the future ascent of the Col de Turini are not suited to his attributes, whilst Paret-Peintre has shed 38 seconds in the wind-swept stage two.
The team is additionally having Oliver Naesen, Stan Dewulf and Dorian Godon who should now have the freedom to hunt for stages in the breakaways, in which stage six is an ideal course for the classics block.
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A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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🇫🇷 @ParisNice @ben_oconnor95, suffering from flu, will not start the 4th stage of Paris-Nice. #AG2RCITROËNTEAM #RoulonsAutrement #RideDifferently
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