Ben O'Connor will be the man who finally closes the Australian trio for the road race at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games after Luke Plapp's withdrawal was confirmed. This was an expected decision after Plapp came down whilst doing a great time at the start of the Olympic time-trial.
Thus, the Decathon AG2R La Mondiale climber will be, together with Simon Clarke, the luxury support rider for Michael Matthews, who is one of the favorites to win a medal on Saturday, August 3. Plapp suffered a hard fall in last Saturday's time trial and had to undergo surgery for an abdominal problem.
Plapp, who undoubtedly came to the Parisian circuit with the desire to do well helping Matthews and as an outsider, was a tough loss. On the other hand, it was lucky for the Aussies to be able to count on O'Connor as a reliable substitute.
"Ben has done very good things this season and is in great form. He is very motivated by the prospect of joining his teammates in the road race," Anna Meares, leader of the Australian Olympic delegation, told Cyclingnews.
"Ben O'Connor's talent and versatility give our team more options in different race scenarios, which is of great value in a race where there are only a few riders per country and where riders cannot use radio communications".
Luke Plapp's condition
"Luke is receiving the best care in hospital and has the support of our medical team. We expect him to be discharged later this week and wish him a speedy recovery," the Australian team boss said of her injured rider.
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