"This is what I always dreamed of. Fourth twice and so close, to now make it to the podium is really amazing" - Ben O'Connor overcome with joy as La Vuelta 2024 concludes
Cycling
For some, after 13 days in the Red Jersey, finishing second would be something of a disappointment. For Ben O'Connor however, 2nd place is a career-affirming result that means a great deal to the Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team leader.
After finishing 4th at the Giro d'Italia earlier this year, and 4th at the Tour de France in the past, a Grand Tour podium finish had always eluded the Australian. Finally though, at the 2024 Vuelta a Espana, O'Connor has cracked the top 3 at one of the sport's biggest races, finishing 2nd in the general classification to Primoz Roglic.
"This is what I always dreamed of. Fourth twice and so close. To now make it to the podium is really amazing," a beaming O'Connor reflected his post-stage 21 interview, having held off the challenges of Enric Mas and Richard Carapaz to secure his second placed finish overall. "It was maybe in a crazy way, But that I can now finish it off in the time trial, I'm very happy."
"I was nervous this morning, but I have to thank my coach for calming me down. It's a weight off my shoulders, we never expected this," the Aussie, who will be leaving Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale for Team Jayco AlUla at the end of this season, continues. "It feels like a victory, because it was already surprising that I was in the red until day nineteen. It's special that I'm here, especially after the Giro."
"I have ridden good time trials, this year in the Giro. It is nice that I was able to do it here as I had hoped. I have learned that I have to trust the process, but sometimes also listen to my gut feeling. In a Grand Tour it is about choosing your moments, I take that with me from this tour. I expected to be good in this Vuelta, but a second place? No," he concludes honestly.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
- Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
- That is a very lazy way of putting it but so far on this website it seems like everyone is happy to look at everything lazily, even things that annoy them intensely. All they want to do is state their feeling and position but ask most to analyse a problem or come up with solutions or improvements and you’re stunned by silence. Nobody even really knows how this all happens. It’s very simple and quick to just say the UCI did it but I bet you they didn’t, I bet you not more than 2 people were involved, more likely just 1. The UCI may be ultimately responsible but it is not their decision, this is about hierarchy, power and delegation. The fact that protest is possible also means it isn’t over and that MORE people could get involved for a thorough review which could throw up anything. It is highly likely it was a sole commissar who decided and has that power in a first round. Therein might lie the problem the UCI has to consider, is it acceptable to give so much authority to one single person when it is quite possible for them to have a natural bias or be too easily susceptible to imposed bias. Who is to say an individual in this position isn’t susceptible to collaboration with outside players with interests in the results, nations, families, teams, betting companies, etc. On the one hand we have sports where these problems have been worked on way more to reduce such problems, on the other hand we have sports with far stricter and more draconian rules not even concerning safety or obstruction that nobody really questions like false starts or stepping out of lane or zones in athletics. If cycling hastowork on itself, it would be good if protagonists (all kinds) would start doing a little more than just moaning over outcomes.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- Yes, so why not make comments less pointless?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- What a race! I didn't expect Vanthourenhout to collapse like that, and Wyseure did take the fight to Nys, but there was no doubt at the end. I also wonder what Aubin Sparfel would be capable of were he to race in the elites now. In the U23 ranks he is making good work of Giel Lejeune, who himself is among the better riders in the elites, and a top 10 contender in the big races (3rd at Kleebergcross, 8th at Berencross and 5th at Heerderstrand). In the French Cup, Sparfel is significantly better than Romain Debord (8th at Koppenbergcross and 10th at the Euros) and Rémi Lelandais (12th at Koppenbergcross and 19th at the Euros).
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - There really was nothing in it. Schreiber was so much faster, and Brand was fighting to stay in the wheel in the sprint. Schreiber did move a bit, but to say she closed the door doesn't make sense because Brand couldn't enter it anyway, abd she wasn't impeded.Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026
- He should have been allowed to go to Movistar. Right now both arent a good fit for each other and are just wasting each other's time and effortabstractengineer08-11-2026
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2eme de @lavuelta 1 victoire d’étape 13 jours en rouge. 3eme meilleure équipe. L’un des grands tours les plus aboutis de notre histoire 2nd of @lavuelta 13 days in red 3rd best team. One of the best Grands Tours in our history #DECATHLONAG2RLAMONDIALETEAM @Decathlon
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