When Ben O’Connor left the field behind on stage 6, he didn’t foresee the sizeable grasp on the maillot rojo and overall race lead that he carried into the Vuelta a España’s first rest day, and neither did his rivals.
Sitting 3:53 ahead of race favourite Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), O’Connor’s margin was considered a gap left to get “out of hand” on stage 6, but with his strong defence of the jersey on Sunday’s stage 9 the Australian rider suddenly seems like a major threat to the overall win.
“I don't really feel that much pressure in the red jersey, to be honest,” O’Connor said in his characteristically laid-back fashion in his team press conference on Monday afternoon.
“It’s kind of unexpected,” he continued. “I never thought about after the great jersey here at the Vuelta a España and some people never have the chance to wear a leader’s jersey at a Grand Tour.” “Many GC guys also never have the chance. So I'm just enjoying it and actually just loving racing from the front, knowing they're leading the race and it's up to other people to make the moves, rather than myself.”
Those moves came hard on stage 8 when O’Connor suffered on the ascent of Sierra de Cazorla and lost a minute to Roglič, with even his teammate Felix Gall leaving him to ride alone against the savage gradients of the climb.
When asked if he thought Gall waiting would have changed the margin, O’Connor dismissed the notion. “He already waited for me on this climb, and then the final six or seven kilometres were at 10% and it wouldn't have changed anything. I was already going backwards,” O’Connor said.”I was pretty average that day.”
Meanwhile, O’Connor spoke with high praise of Gall’s support on stage 9. “I think yesterday, we were really, really good together,” he said. “I think for a guy like him, you can control mountain-top finishes really well. And I think he can also be an aggressive person if he needs to be too in the race.”
O’Connor’s third-place finish ahead of Roglič not only offered a nominal time bonus gain in his race lead but sent a statement that he was capable of managing the race from the front. Speaking about the stage, O’Connor considered it a bigger moment in terms of his confidence in holding the race lead.
“When I won the stage, I took the jersey, but I never had any pressure for holding the jersey by that point,” he said. “But then yesterday was a completely different story, you know, and I was managing the race, controlling it with the boys and doing a really good job.”
While commentators are increasingly considering O’Connor a viable race winner, the Australian was more cautious in his aspirations.
Speaking of a podium spot in Madrid, he said “I'd like to, but you can't be disappointed if you don't deserve it. The people who finish on podiums, no matter where you finish on GC is where you deserve. So if it ends up being there, then I'll be proud.”
O’Connor’s tenure of the red jersey will be bittersweet for Decathlon–AG2R La Mondiale, as the race lead marks a high point in O’Connor’s career but in what be the rider’s final race before he joins Jayco-AlUla for the 2025 season.
“I'd say this is for me - this is the highlight of being with this team,” O’Connor said. “It's been the most enjoyable experience I've had whilst here, and I've had some fantastic memories with the team of the Tour and multiple other races throughout.
“But for sure, this is the cherry on the cake.”
