Ben O'Connor: Tadej Pogacar is the next level above me at the Tour de France

 AG2R Citroen's Ben O'Connor of Australia celebrates his stage 9 win at the Tour de France
AG2R Citroen's Ben O'Connor of Australia celebrates his stage 9 win at the Tour de France (Image credit: Getty Images)

Ben O’Connor (AG2R Citroën) is the only rider within five minutes of Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) in the general classification as the Tour de France breaks for its first rest day, but he insisted that it doesn't make him a direct challenger to the man who appears to be in a race of his own.

Although O’Connor was briefly the maillot jaune during his remarkable solo victory on stage 9, he had few illusions about wresting the garment from Pogačar’s back at the finish in Tignes, far less in Paris.

Barry Ryan
Head of Features

Barry Ryan was Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation, published by Gill Books.