"I've read this story before” – O’Connor finding form as the Tour de France hits the mountains
Cycling
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.”
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- great analysis thanks! appreciate you posting this. I didn't realize CX had a different standard for deviation. this is even more egregious it seems.mij10-11-2026
- As he isn't currently with Red Bull, I guess if he want to race for one more year he needs to find a team. He's 37 so this will be his last year I would guess, unless he wants to race for almost nothing like Froome did.awp10-11-2026
- I think some are making much ado about nothing. Even though Jonas is getting older, before his crash in the Tour, he looked like a solid 2nd all the way home. No one can really climb with Tadej until this year, Eric Mas showed himself which I think was a one off year for him and Paul Seixas has been able to be pretty close to him. Whatever stage race Jonas enters as long as Tadej is not there he is a favorite to win.awp10-11-2026
- Giro or not Giro, he won't win the Tour!MajorPayne10-11-2026
- Very true.awp10-11-2026
- Ciccone had a very strong end of season. Consistently attacking and livening up races. Hope he makes that last leap in progress and starts notching some significant wins. Great rider to watch.Occam10-11-2026
- Me too!!!!!Occam10-11-2026
- they can sign any 100 of top riders today but Pogi will win over Remco any time at the TDF unless something goes wrongabstractengineer10-11-2026
- the time for a GC rider to retire is when they cannot win stages, or have a significant level drop like from winner/podium into top 5/10 consistently. Roglic is still competitive and Froome raced even though he became pack fodder.abstractengineer10-11-2026
- He should be in a different team. It was detrimental. For them it does not matter if he does not develop. He should have gone to a team where they need him to succeed.abstractengineer10-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment