Ben O'Connor's slow burn toward the 2023 Tour de France

Ben O'Connor (AG2R-Citroën)
Ben O'Connor (AG2R-Citroën) (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)

When Ben O’Connor stepped into the 2022 Tour de France, he was doing it with red-hot form, high expectations and the pressure – be it self-imposed or otherwise – that seems nigh-impossible to avoid when you are lining up the year after having all of a sudden given a French team a high finish at their home Grand Tour. 

It was a far cry from the no-expectations entry to the Tour in 2021 that ultimately ended with him handing his new AG2R-Citroën squad fourth place overall. The outcome was also just as much of a contrast. 

Simone Giuliani
Australia Editor

Simone is a degree-qualified journalist that has accumulated decades of wide-ranging experience while working across a variety of leading media organisations. She joined Cyclingnews as a Production Editor at the start of the 2021 season and has now moved into the role of Australia Editor. Previously she worked as a freelance writer, Australian Editor at Ella CyclingTips and as a correspondent for Reuters and Bloomberg. Cycling was initially purely a leisure pursuit for Simone, who started out as a business journalist, but in 2015 her career focus also shifted to the sport.

Read more
NICE FRANCE MARCH 15 Ben Oconnor of Australia and Team Jayco AlUla prior to the 83rd Paris Nice 2025 Stage 7 a 1093km stage from Nice to Auron 1603m UCIWT on March 15 2025 in Nice France Photo by Dario BelingheriGetty Images
'The Volta suits me perfectly' - Ben O'Connor determined to put Paris-Nice behind him in Catalunya
Eddie Dunbar (Jayco-AlUla) in action at the AlUla Tour
'You want to make winning a habit' - after 2024 triumphs, Eddie Dunbar aims to raise his Grand Tour ambitions even higher
Luke Plapp on the attack with Luke Durbridge at the Australian national championships
Following in Richie Porte’s Tour Down Under footsteps – Is this the year Luke Plapp can claim his mentor’s crown?
Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe)
'I just want to be myself' - Primož Roglič on the drive to keep winning and improving at 35
Simon Yates on training camp with new team Visma–Lease a BIke
'At one point or another, it's never easy to be suffering on everybody's wheels' – Simon Yates reveals why his Visma-Lease a Bike transfer could radically boost his career
Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek)
'It seemed like the obvious step' - Mattias Skjelmose to ride 2025 Tour de France despite preference for the Giro
Latest in
DE PANNE BELGIUM MARCH 27 Lorena Wiebes of Netherlands and Team SD Worx Protime celebrates at finish line as race winner during the 8th Womens Classic BruggeDe Panne 2025 a 1527km one day race from Brugge to De Panne UCIWT on March 27 2025 in De Panne Belgium Photo by Luc ClaessenGetty Images
Classic Brugge-De Panne Women: Lorena Wiebes takes win number six of 2025
WALLERS FRANCE JULY 06 Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia and UAE Team Emirates white best young jersey competes passing through a cobblestones sector during to the 109th Tour de France 2022 Stage 5 a 157km stage from Lille to WallersArenberg TDF2022 WorldTour on July 06 2022 in Wallers France Photo by Bernard Papon PoolGetty Images
'He has the engine' - Geraint Thomas has no doubts Tadej Pogačar can conquer 2025 Paris-Roubaix despite lack of experience
Danish Mads Pedersen of Lidl-Trek celebrates after winning the men's Gent-Wevelgem - In Flanders Fields cycling race, 253.1 km from Ieper to Wevelgem, Sunday 24 March 2024. BELGA PHOTO ERIC LALMAND (Photo by ERIC LALMAND / BELGA MAG / Belga via AFP)
Gent-Wevelgem 2025 start list
French rider of team Visma Lease A Bike Christophe Laporte speaks during a press conference after winning the 118th edition of the 213,9 km Paris-Tours one day cycling race, in Tours, central France on October 6, 2024. (Photo by GUILLAUME SOUVANT / AFP)
Christophe Laporte misses out on cobbled Classics due to cytomegalovirus
(From L) Second-placed Italian Elisa Balsamo of Lidl-Trek, winner Dutch Lorena Wiebes of SD Worx - Protime and third-placed Italian Chiara Consonni of UAE Team ADQ celebrate on the podium after the Cycling World Tour Gent-Wevelgem women's 171,2 km from Ieper to Wevelgem, on March 24, 2024. (Photo by ERIC LALMAND / Belga / AFP) / Belgium OUT
Gent-Wevelgem Women 2025 start list
Jay Vine wins stage 3 at Coppi e Bartali 2025
Coppi e Bartali: Jay Vine holds off chase to take solo stage 3 victory
Latest in Feature
Danish Mads Pedersen of Lidl-Trek celebrates after winning the men's Gent-Wevelgem - In Flanders Fields cycling race, 253.1 km from Ieper to Wevelgem, Sunday 24 March 2024. BELGA PHOTO ERIC LALMAND (Photo by ERIC LALMAND / BELGA MAG / Belga via AFP)
Gent-Wevelgem 2025 start list
(From L) Second-placed Italian Elisa Balsamo of Lidl-Trek, winner Dutch Lorena Wiebes of SD Worx - Protime and third-placed Italian Chiara Consonni of UAE Team ADQ celebrate on the podium after the Cycling World Tour Gent-Wevelgem women's 171,2 km from Ieper to Wevelgem, on March 24, 2024. (Photo by ERIC LALMAND / Belga / AFP) / Belgium OUT
Gent-Wevelgem Women 2025 start list
Mathieu van der Poel celebrates his E3 Saxo Classic victory in 2024 with a standing on pedals salute
E3 Saxo Classic start list
Best power meters group image
I test bikes for a living and I never use a power meter: Here’s why you shouldn’t either
DE PANNE BELGIUM MARCH 21 Elisa Balsamo of Italy and Team Lidl Trek celebrates at finish line as race winner ahead of LR Chiara Consonni of Italy and UAE Team ADQ Daria Pikulik of Poland and Team Human Powered Health and Charlotte Kool of The Netherlands and Team dsmfirmenich PostNL during the 7th Womens Classic BruggeDe Panne 2024 a 155km one day race from Brugge to De Panne on March 21 2024 in De Panne Belgium Photo by Luc ClaessenGetty Images
Classic Brugge-De Panne Women start list
DE PANNE BELGIUM MARCH 20 Jasper Philipsen of Belgium and Team AlpecinDeceuninck celebrates at finish line as race winner ahead of Tim Merlier of Belgium and Team SoudalQuick Step and Jason Tesson of France and Team TotalEnergies during the 48th Classic BruggeDe Panne 2024 Mens Elite a 1989km one day race from Brugge to De Panne UCIWT on March 20 2024 in De Panne Belgium Photo by Luc ClaessenGetty Images
Classic Brugge-De Panne start list