"I've read this story before” – O’Connor finding form as the Tour de France hits the mountains

While Simon Yates grabbed the headlines with his stage win on Bastille Day, Ben O’Connor quietly turned in his best ride of this year’s Tour de France, crossing the line in fourth and showing clear signs his race might just be heating up.

O’Connor, who finished second at last year’s Vuelta, has had a subdued start to this Tour, but Stage 10 marked a shift. He was part of the decisive breakaway, climbed with intent, and though he didn’t quite have the legs to go with Yates on the final ramp, he showed the form that’s been missing.

“I've read this story before, I've been in this situation before and come out the other side with some pretty good results,” he said post-stage, referring to his past recoveries from slow starts.

Currently 18th on general classification and 11 minutes and 50 seconds behind new race leader Ben Healy, O’Connor knows there’s a long way to go, but also sees signs of momentum.

“It was a hell of a day,” he admitted. “I thought I just had to be on Simon’s wheel. I didn’t expect a second kick though. I didn’t have the legs for that sadly.”

Team Jayco AlUla had identified this stage as one with real potential. “Everybody has been talking about this stage for months,” said sports director Matthew Hayman in a video debrief. “We were looking for opportunities today.”

O’Connor had hoped to convert that plan into his first victory since 2021. It didn’t happen, but it didn’t feel far off either. Now, the Australian will hope to build upon this as the true mountain tests begin after the rest day.

“I’m a bit disappointed to be honest … I need to get the win eventually,” he said. “First day in the break, first day in the mountains – you’ll see me there again.”