‘I’m not sure it will last that long’ – Ben O’Connor saves Vuelta a España lead but red jersey briefly lost on Lagos de Covadonga

LAGOS DE COVADONGA SPAIN SEPTEMBER 03 Ben OConnor of Australia and Team Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Red Leader Jersey reacts after crosses the finish line during the La Vuelta 79th Tour of Spain 2024 Stage 16 a 1815km stage Luanco to Lagos de Covadonga 1069m UCIWT on September 03 2024 in Lagos de Covadonga Spain Photo by Dario BelingheriGetty Images
Ben O'Connor of Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale fights to the finish at Lagos de Covadonga to hold the race lead by five seconds (Image credit: Getty Images)

The red jersey of the Vuelta a España was lost in the mists of Lagos de Covadonga, just not in the way anybody anticipated. Ben O’Connor did just enough to cling to first place overall on stage 16, but a breakdown in communication at the finish left the race organisation frantically trying to locate the Australian for the podium ceremony.

O’Connor’s fatigue was evident when he spilled across the line at the summit, 4:52 down on stage winner Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates) but, crucially, just under a minute down on Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe). That meant he would retain the red jersey by five seconds, but it wasn’t immediately clear from O’Connor’s body language if he was aware of that fact.

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.

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