"Perfect start to the season" says Ben O'Connor after victory at Vuelta Ciclista a la Region de Murcia

After not being able to taste victory for the entirety of the 2023 season, Ben O'Connor took just one race day to celebrate the win in 2024.

"This is really the perfect start to the season," reflected the Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team leader in his post-race interview following the Vuelta Ciclista a la Region de Murcia. "This day actually had everything. It was very windy. It all started on the climb halfway through the race. It worked out perfectly for me. I am very proud to win this first race of the year. I felt great."

O'Connor wasn't the only man starting his 2024 season in Murcia on Saturday afternoon. So was the reigning Vuelta a Espana champion, Sepp Kuss and the American, along with his Team Visma | Lease a Bike teammates ignited the race much earlier than expected. "I followed him with Wellens, Martinez and Cepeda. We already had a guy at the front and someone else from our team jumped with us. It was a full race all day long. The wind was crazy and we managed to stay ahead of the peloton for a long time," O'Connor recalls.

With O'Connor and Tim Wellens the last two remainders of the break, the Aussie attacked clear on the final climb of the day to ride home solo. "There was never a moment to relax. In the end Wellens didn't want to ride with me. I felt the fatigue and tried to pace myself as best I could. I'm so glad it worked out. It's cool that I win my first race here, now I can go home to rest and then go for my next race."