🇪🇸 @VoltaCatalunya Victoire d'étape et nouveau leader de la course 😍. Bravo @ben_oconnor95 ! Stage win and new leader of the race 😍. That was a bold move @ben_oconnor95! #AG2RCITROËNTEAM #RoulonsAutrement #RideDifferently - © Getty
Ben O'Connor: "I decided to try my luck in the finale and it worked"
CyclingWednesday, 23 March 2022 at 20:00
AG2R Citroën Team have taken a big win today at the Volta a Catalunya as Ben O'Connor won the mountainous stage to La Molina and took over the race lead.
"I was sick and I had to abandon Paris-Nice, which was one of my early season goals. I approached this week with confidence, though, because I knew that my form was there. Today, I did not expect to finish alone because I believed that other guys would be able to follow me. But I decided to try my luck in the finale and it worked," O'Connor said at the end of the stage.
The Australian didn't take to the start of stage three as a big favourite, however after an early move on the climb to La Molina, he anticipated the main attacks that could come for the stage win, and managed to time-trial his way to the summit of the Pyreneen climb to take his first win since last year's Tour de France.
It was not necessarily a climb that suited me. I like the high mountains. I knew I had to be smart to follow those who would attack.I know that the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya is a tricky race but, with my teammates, I will try to keep this leader’s jersey until the end."
O'Connor will have the arduous task of defending his lead tomorrow at the summit finish in Boí Taüll, however he has put himself on pole position for the overall classification, having 10 seconds over his most direct competitor Juan Ayuso.
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