“I’m on the up and aiming to be competitive” – Ben O’Connor targets Tour of the Alps success as Giro d’Italia looms large
Cycling
Ben O’Connor returns to the Tour of the Alps this week with a clear sense of purpose. The Ben O'Connor arrives at the five-stage race from April 20 to 24 not simply to compete, but to measure exactly where he stands ahead of the Giro d’Italia, the defining objective of his season.
Now leading Team Jayco AlUla in the mountains, O’Connor is no longer the emerging climber who once used these roads to announce himself.
He returns as a proven Grand Tour contender, carrying both expectation and momentum into a race that has already played a decisive role in his career.
“I’m on the up,” he says in a press release on the race website. “After an altitude block between Andorra and Sierra Nevada I feel ready, and I’m aiming to be competitive at the Tour of the Alps. It’s a race I’ve always loved.”
A race that shaped his career
Few riders in the peloton have a connection to the Tour of the Alps quite like O’Connor. It was here, back in 2018, that he secured the first significant result of his professional career, announcing himself as a rider capable of competing in the mountains at WorldTour level.
Six years later, he returned with a very different profile and finished second overall, a result that set the tone for what became the most successful season of his career. That campaign would go on to include a fourth-place finish at the Giro d’Italia and a runner-up spot at the Vuelta a España, underlining his evolution into a consistent Grand Tour performer.
That history gives this week’s return added weight. This is not just another preparation race. It is a course and a format that have repeatedly aligned with his development, and one that continues to offer a clear read on his condition at a critical point in the season.
O'Connor won a stage of the Tour de France in 2025
Built for the demands of the Alps
The Tour of the Alps has long been defined by its intensity rather than its length. Short stages, constant elevation changes and aggressive racing patterns leave little room for control, something O’Connor is well aware of.
“It’s a really demanding race,” he said. “The summit finish at Martell is a first key moment, and there are stages that invite long-range attacks. You have to be ready to go flat-out all day, because gaps can open up a long way from the line. The Tour of the Alps is explosive – but a brilliant race to ride.”
That description mirrors the challenge he faces. O’Connor’s strengths lie in sustained climbing efforts and consistency across multiple days, attributes that have underpinned his Grand Tour results. But the nature of this race often rewards riders who can respond repeatedly to accelerations and take risks far from the finish, particularly on stages that conclude after technical descents.
It is that balance between endurance and explosiveness that will define his week.
A decisive Giro d’Italia reference point
With the Giro d’Italia looming, the importance of the race extends beyond the result itself. For O’Connor, it is a final opportunity to validate months of preparation against a high-level field. “Ahead of the Giro d’Italia, the Tour of the Alps is the perfect fixture,” he said. “It has both longer climbs and punchy finishes – an ideal balance at this point in the season.”
The field he faces reflects that role. Riders such as Egan Bernal, Thymen Arensman and Aleksandr Vlasov bring proven stage race pedigree, while emerging names like Giulio Pellizzari add further unpredictability to a race that rarely follows a controlled script.
O’Connor, however, remains focused on his own progression rather than external comparisons. “The level is always very high. There’s no point going through the list of strong riders I’ll face – I’m focused on myself and on my condition. By the end of the five days I’ll know exactly where I stand.”
That final assessment may ultimately matter more than any finishing position. With the Giro d’Italia approaching, the Tour of the Alps offers clarity. For O’Connor, it is a return to familiar terrain with a very different set of expectations, and a chance to confirm that his upward trajectory remains firmly intact.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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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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