Ben O’Connor fights illness to secure GC fourth as Decathlon AG2R celebrates successful Giro d’Italia

BASSANO DEL GRAPPA ITALY MAY 25 Ben OConnor of Australia and Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team crosses the finish line during the 107th Giro dItalia 2024 Stage 20 a 184km stage from Alpago to Bassano del Grappa UCIWT on May 25 2024 in Bassano del Grappa Italy Photo by Dario BelingheriGetty Images
Ben O'Connor (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) finishes stage 20 of the 2024 Giro d'Italia (Image credit: Getty Images)

Ben O’Connor coughed continuously at the finish of stage 20 in Bassano del Grappa but his pain was eased by knowing he had finished fourth overall in the Giro d’Italia even after fighting illness in the final week.

His Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale squad also won the team classification ahead of Ineos Grenadiers and UAE Team Emirates and they enjoyed two stage victories with Valentin Paret-Peintre and Andrea Vendrame.

Stephen Farrand
Head of News

Stephen is one of the most experienced member of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. He has been Head of News at Cyclingnews since 2022, before which he held the position of European editor since 2012 and previously worked for Reuters, Shift Active Media, and CyclingWeekly, among other publications.

Read more
LA LOGE DES GARDES, FRANCE - MARCH 12: Ben O’connor of Australia and Team Jayco AlUla crosses the finish line during the 83rd Paris - Nice 2025, Stage 4 a 163.4km stage from Vichy to La Loge des Gardes 1078m / #UCIWT / on March 12, 2025 in La Loge des Gardes, France. (Photo by Dario Belingheri/Getty Images)
‘Pretty unfortunate but we are not done with this Paris-Nice’ – Ben O’Connor slips down GC after brutal conditions hit
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
COULANGES-LES-NEVERS, FRANCE - MARCH 11: Ben O’connor of Australia, Michael Hepburn of Australia, Michael Matthews of Australia, Kelland O’brien of Australia, Mauro Schmid of Switzerland, Max Walscheid of Germany and Team Jayco AlUla compete during the 83rd Paris - Nice 2025, Stage 3 a 28.4km team time trial stage from Circuit Nevers Magny-Cours to Nevers / #UCIWT / on March 11, 2025 in Coulanges-les-Nevers, France. (Photo by Dario Belingheri/Getty Images)
Jayco-AlUla without 'huge engine' Luke Durbridge but still secure second in Paris-Nice team time trial
Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling) leads the chase group with Jai Hindley (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) on his back wheel on the final section of the Frontignano climb
'My red zone was a little higher than I thought' - Tom Pidcock regrets another second place at Tirreno-Adriatico
Ben O'Connor (Jayco Alula)
'I am very proud to be here' - Ben O'Connor debuts with Jayco AlUla in Volta Valenciana
Luke Plapp makes a surge on the front
'We had big plans and didn't pull it off, but we tried' - Jayco-AlUla go all in at Tour Down Under
Latest in
Women's classification leaders are called to the start line for the final stage of Joe Martin Stage Race in Fayetteville, Arkansas in 2023
'Knowledge is here, we just need the money' - Organisers to reform Joe Martin Stage Race as Tour of Arkansas
Stage winner Team Visma's British rider James Matthew Brennan celebrates with the yellow jersey on the podium of the first stage of the 2025 Volta a Catalonya cycling tour of Catalonya, a 178,3 km loop starting and finishing in Sant Feliu de Guixols, on March 24, 2025. (Photo by Josep LAGO / AFP)
Matthew Brennan adds Limburg Classic, Tour of Romandie to program after Volta a Catalunya breakthrough
Primoz Roglic and Juan Ayuso sprint at finish line to win the stage 4 at the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya 2025
'We are equal' - new Volta a Catalunya leader Primož Roglič realistic after narrow defeat of closest rival Juan Ayuso
Map of women's Dwars door Vlaanderen 2025
Dwars door Vlaanderen Women 2025 Route
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
Latest in News
Women's classification leaders are called to the start line for the final stage of Joe Martin Stage Race in Fayetteville, Arkansas in 2023
'Knowledge is here, we just need the money' - Organisers to reform Joe Martin Stage Race as Tour of Arkansas
Stage winner Team Visma's British rider James Matthew Brennan celebrates with the yellow jersey on the podium of the first stage of the 2025 Volta a Catalonya cycling tour of Catalonya, a 178,3 km loop starting and finishing in Sant Feliu de Guixols, on March 24, 2025. (Photo by Josep LAGO / AFP)
Matthew Brennan adds Limburg Classic, Tour of Romandie to program after Volta a Catalunya breakthrough
Primoz Roglic and Juan Ayuso sprint at finish line to win the stage 4 at the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya 2025
'We are equal' - new Volta a Catalunya leader Primož Roglič realistic after narrow defeat of closest rival Juan Ayuso
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
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
SANREMO ITALY MARCH 22 Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia and Team UAE Team Emirates competes during the 116th MilanoSanremo 2025 a 289km one day race from Pavia to Sanremo UCIWT on March 22 2025 in Sanremo Italy Photo by Dario BelingheriGetty Images
'When he starts somewhere, it is to try to win' – Why Tadej Pogačar can win Paris-Roubaix