Stage 1 of the Tour de France brought early drama for Team
Jayco AlUla and GC hopeful Ben O’Connor. Caught in a late crash inside the safe
zone, O’Connor went over the handlebars but fortunately avoided losing any
time. Speaking to a group of reporters including CyclingUpToDate at the start
of Stage 2, he admitted the aftermath was still lingering.
“Yeah, a bit sore, shoulder’s pretty rough,” O’Connor said.
“But it’s OK, I’m just moving and just to feel a bit sorry for myself, but a
few moments I think later today.”
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O’Connor was part of the elite front split that gained time
on several rivals. That made the crash even more frustrating.
“It’s a bad thing. It’s just like you’re in a small group,
think you’ve avoided everything, you got through it all and then just one guy
lays it down in front of you,” he said. “I mean, what are the chances.”
Despite the physical toll, he acknowledged the emotional
reset is just as critical.
“Yeah, you have to pick yourself up off the deck, I guess,
emotionally, don’t you,” he said. “And I suppose you rely on guys like Turbo
and other teammates to… you just gotta go, OK, get on with it.”
O’Connor is aiming to keep the crash from becoming a
distraction.
“In the end, once again, I have that little 40-second gain
more or less, so that’s a positive thing,” he said. “So just go on today, try
and forget about the little bruises and bangs and just get done.”
Jayco DS Matthew Hayman backed the Aussie’s performance and
lamented the crash.
“You see the footage there, he’s trying to stay out of
trouble at that point, 5K to go, nothing to win. Minding his own business and
ends up on the ground,” Hayman said. “So disappointing, but 40 seconds, take
that. He put himself in the right position for a lot of the day.”
Looking ahead, Hayman predicted more nerves and treacherous
roads.
“Yeah, look, it’s gonna be nervous again,” he said. “A lot
more headwind today, but of course wet roads are quite treacherous… and
expecting a pretty fiery last (30K).”
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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