“I don't think I've ever finished in the top ten of a time trial" - Ben O'Connor surprised but delighted by his Critérium du Dauphiné efforts

A brilliant individual time-trial effort by AG2R Citroën Team's Ben O'Connor saw the Australian finish 5th on the stage and move up to 4th in the general classification.

“I've done good time trials before, but today was by far the best I've felt in a time trial. It doesn't surprise me that the result is good," said a delighted O'Connor in his post-stage interview. “I don't think I've ever finished in the top ten in a time trial. So if - as it looks now - I finish in the top five, then I'm very happy."

The stage was eventually won by UAE Team Emirates' Mikkel Bjerg who also took the overall lead of the general classification. O'Connor though now sits just 29 seconds behind Jonas Vingegaard in the general classification, a good position with the biggest mountains of the race still to come.

“It was a matter of keeping a controlled pace and being as aerodynamic as possible in the valley. On the first climb you could certainly blow yourself up. It was therefore important that you then recovered well towards the next climb," O'Connor explains. "I'm lucky that where I come from, it's always a time trial like today. So the fact that the roads at home are among the worst to train on has an advantage."