Tout donner pour conserver cette tunique rouge 💪 We won't give this red jersey up without a fight 💪 #DECATHLONAG2RLAMONDIALETEAM ©️ V. Bohuon
"I was pretty exhausted" - Ben O'Connor implodes in Puerto de Ancares and saved red jersey by just over a minute
CyclingFriday, 30 August 2024 at 18:34
Ben O'Connor's time in the red jersey is running out at the Vuelta a España. Tomorrow he should remain safe, but in the Puerto de Ancares today he lost more time and has Primoz Roglic already closeby. The Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale rider struggled in the final climb in what was another difficult day.
“It wasn’t much today. To be honest, I was dropped early on," O'Connor started out in a post-race interview. “I was pretty exhausted. It’s a shame, but luckily I’m still the leader. That’s good. I had to ride my own pace on the final climb, but that wasn’t much. How will it go in the coming days? Who knows? Today it really didn’t go well, but a few days ago it was still very good. I will now try to recover as best I can and then we will see what happens.”
O'Connor had his team in the head of the peloton throughout most of the day but with a calm pace. There wasn't much of a fight for the breakaway and so O'Connor was able to ride a comfortable pace until Movistar picked it up in the final hour of racing. Then in the final kilometers it was BORA who pushed the pace hard, including the first kilometer of the steep Asturian ascent.
O'Connor was dropped right at the bottom of the steep section and had Felix Gall with him. However at a certain point, the Austrian went on to ride for his own ambitions. O'Connor was overtaken by several riders en route to the summit finish and ended up losing 1:55 minutes to Primoz Roglic. His lead is now only of 1:21 minutes over the Slovenian and in Cuitu Negru this Sunday he may not be able to sustain his position in the GC. Tomorrow into Villablino, the final climb is not steep and so attacks are not expected.
Read also
claps 1visitors 2166
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- The point is obvious: MVDP can beat Tadej on CX/Road and Tadej cannot. What is so hard to understand???averagecyclist22-12-2024
- Funny... one doper enabler backing the doper he enabled ! Who would have guessed.frieders322-12-2024
- Wouldn’t be here if I wasn’tMistermaumau22-12-2024
- So you're bored, got itvappaxbipmv22-12-2024
- Does everything need to have a point? If so, 99% of the internet should be wiped away. In relation to recent articles with quotes from other riders, my statement points to the ever more obvious reason why they are asked to comment on the effect of his return.Mistermaumau22-12-2024
- If anyone would be interested enough to launch an official survey as to who out of these three should shut up, I don’t know who’d win but I’m due Boonen would be way back in 3rd place.Mistermaumau22-12-2024
- And your point is what exactly?vappaxbipmv22-12-2024
- MVDP dominates this sport even more than Pogaçar dominates road racing. Also he can beat Tadej on the road quite regularly, the opposite is unlikely.Mistermaumau22-12-2024
- If you listen to team radios you'll hear each DS telling their riders to ride faster, fight their way to the front, and all occupy the same 8 places.Sweep22-12-2024
- You're talking about a sport where equipment and clothing is measured in grams.Sweep22-12-2024