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"I was lost in the first two weeks" - Ben O'Connor comes close to stage win in disappointing Tour de France
CyclingFriday, 21 July 2023 at 18:00
Ben O'Connor came into the 2023 Tour de France with big ambitions. Picked by many as a podium contender, the AG2R Citroen rider quickly saw any GC potential fade away. Getting into the breakaway on stage 19, O'Connor came close to taking a stage win, eventually finishing third.
"I wasn't supposed to be in the break today. I actually wanted to be relaxed in the peloton," the 27-year-old Australian admitted in a post-stage interview. "However, a nice opportunity arose after that intermediate sprint, in which I was able to jump."
Coming into the final kilometres, O'Connor was alongside Kasper Asgreen and eventual winner Matej Mohoric. In a three-up sprint however, he admits that the chances of him taking the win were slim. "I was always losing to Kasper and Matej, they are two of the strongest riders in the peloton," he says with a wry smile. "I couldn't have done more."
Reflecting on the Tour de France as a whole, O'Connor admitted he hasn't been at the level he wanted or expected.
“It was hard to deal with that disappointment after coming here with high expectations. I was lost in the first two weeks," he lamented. "I feel better now, but it's still a question mark what happened."
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