Ben O’Connor amazed everyone as he grabbed the fourth position in the Tour de France of 2021. He cleared all doubts with his exceptional performance. It is safe to say that he has delivered the message that he has what it takes to be a competitive rider, loud and clear.
The Australian cyclist wants to improve his current performance. With his eyes set on the prize, the 26-year-old rider works day and night to fetch a podium in world tour events. This season, he has delivered some intense performances, even though he had to withdraw from Paris Nice because of feeling unwell. He made a smashing comeback with his win at Tour du Jura and Volta a Catalunya.
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He seemed pretty content with his performance in his last race of Tour de Romandie, in which he made progress from his spot 6 finish of 2021. He exclaimed:
I am rather pleased with how I have been riding so far, but it could have been even better; For example, I was fifth in the Tour de Romandie but I felt that I could have finished on the podium and why not win if everything had gone better.
Ben O’Connor has set his eyes on the top ten, or one can even say he is gunning for the top five.He says:
The time has come to go for a podium in a major World Tour event. It would be my first and I know that it is now possible for me to win these types of races
O’Connor says that the uphill climb at Chastreix-Sancy is a challenge, but he feels ready for it. He feels that the stage 4 trial will play a very crucial part in shaping him before he reaches what will be the final weekend in the Alps:
I believe that the days when climbers were inevitably bad on flat roads are over. I can also do well in time trials.
The 26-year-old proved himself to be a humble sportsman when he acknowledged that he looks up to his fellow Australian cyclists and hopes to be on a par with their success. He vocalized his feelings and said:
It was also encouraging to see my friend Jai Hindley win the Giro. He is also from Perth and we have known each other for a long time. When I saw him win, I told myself I too can do it
He seemed quite cheery while talking about his last tour. One can assume that he was at ease when he stated:
My Tour adventure last year was extraordinary and I couldn’t even begin to imagine what happened. To win a stage and finish fourth overall in Paris is something huge. And I did it! But of course, you always want to do better. That’s why you become an athlete and why you have to invest so much in this job
Clearly, the steadiness and the sky-high aims are the powering cause of the maturity of this AG2R Citroën cyclists.
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Also Read: Dylan Groenewegen Makes Headway At Dauphine Ahead Of Tour De France
Featured Image Via YouTube/ Cycling Pro Net
