"I didn't expect myself to be so bad at the end" - Ben O'Connor passes on Red Jersey after 13 days at the 2024 Vuelta a Espana

It feels as if it has been coming for a while now, but Primoz Roglic is back into the overall lead at the 2024 Vuelta a Espana after sensational performance on the final climb of stage 19 saw the Slovenian distance all of his Red Jersey rivals, including Ben O'Connor.

With Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe controlling the front of the bunch, the infernal pace was beginning to cause difficulties for those in the wheels behind. In fact BORA were so strong that Daniel Martinez, Aleksandr Vlasov and Primoz Roglic were getting a clear gap ahead of all the rest. Although Martinez pulled over soon after, with 5km to go, Roglic and Vlasov had already built up a 26 second advantage, putting the Slovenian in the Red Jersey before he'd even made a move himself. After making his own move, there was no stopping Roglic from taking the stage win and the Red Jersey.

Speaking afterwards however, O'Connor was far from content with his own performance having finally passed on the Red Jersey. "I was a bit broken at the end. I actually felt pretty good until halfway," he admitted in his post-stage interview. "I wasn't really surprised, but I didn't expect myself to be so bad at the end. I was a bit average to be honest. But that's just the reality."

Results | Stage 19 of the 2024 Vuelta a Espana: