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Puy de Dôme buries Ben O'Connor's GC ambitions - "Sometimes things just don't go as planned"
CyclingMonday, 10 July 2023 at 10:50
After finishing on the podium of the Criterium du Dauphiné, Ben O'Connor geared up to fight for a strong result at the Tour de France, with full support from AG2R Citroën Team. However that goal is now over, as he cracked once again at Puy de Dôme.
"I've come back from worse situations. It is what it is, you have to stay optimistic. In the next two weeks I will aim for day success and race aggressively," O'Connor said in a post-race interview. The Australian struggled through the opening weekend, but had gotten himself a couple of good performances in the Pyrenees which would suggest his goal of a Top10 was still very much viable.
He took to the start of stage 9 in 11th place on the overall classification, but was dropped before the steep section of the Massif Central's most famous climb. He then shed many minutes, over 8 to Tadej Pogacar who was the first of the GC riders to cross the line. Descending from 11th to 18th in the GC, his goals of a strong result there have been ended, and the Australian will now focus on chasing a stage win in the remaining mountain stages.
“It's not over yet, it's just starting a different race for me now," he tells, motivated to get something out of this race. "It's what I originally got my fun out of, being an aggressive rider. Competing in the standings is always a dream, but sometimes things just don't go as planned.”
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- That’s the most stupid thing I’ve read for a long time, did you not go to school and learn even the most basic physics? Aero depends on one thing only, drag, drag depends speed and the relationship is squared and apart from maybe at zero or the speed of sound or due to side winds that relationship is valid at all speeds, it dies not “suddenly” start at a magic number. Very simply, the faster you go the more the effect becomes important. If you think 25km/h is needed to have noticeable effects you’re delusional, athletic WR are cancelled as soon as winds top 2m/s that’s 7.2km/h, why because the assistance is already too important at that speed and the times prove it. You don’t even consider wind which can significantly increase the effective speed for aerodynamics and you underestimate speed of climbs, 6% is ridden more at 30 than 25km/h, a speed at which early generation high rims were considered to have more advantages than disadvantages. And finally, as in normal races you can’t just switch bikes according to terrain, it’s pretty pointless to discuss climbs as a separate situation, the aero will have justified itself plenty during the rest of the ride.Mistermaumau21-12-2024
- If you look at how much TP progressed in that 1 1/2 years you can no longer say that’s nothing. If Remco improves as much he’s a challenger!Mistermaumau21-12-2024
- Froome wishing to ride the Vuelta...he won't even be selected for the team!frieders320-12-2024
- Keep telling yourself that Remco but you not only have Tadeg to beat but Jonas!frieders320-12-2024
- Seems farfetched - I agree. Mas has beaten him once. Giro d'Emillia I think - 2022mobk20-12-2024
- Barring injuries, by the time Pogacar's dominance fads there will be lots of new young talent. Pogacar is about 1 1/2 years older than Remco. That's nothing.Sweep20-12-2024
- I actually don’t find that too impressive. In my later forties I did similar figures for a 3.5% gradient as a total nobody with no wind assistance. Am sure there’s margin for improvement there, especially looking at all the names on that list.Mistermaumau20-12-2024
- Jonas', was 6 years agospock12320-12-2024
- The race where he overnight suddenly turned nuclear after being packfodder at best for several years. His Sky days after that Vuelta and Pogačar’s last season shall remain the darkest post Lance stuff cycling has witnessed. Good riddance Froome.
UltimateOpportunist20-12-2024 - Finishing the Vuelta seems to be a reasonably attainable goal. Getting on the team to do that will be the more difficult challenge.
santiagobenites20-12-2024