Historical past is at the moment repeating itself in one of the best of how for Ben O’Connor (AG2R Citroën) on the 2023 Critérium du Dauphiné. The Australian as soon as once more finds himself the closest pursuer of Jonas Vingegaard total on GC, identical to he did within the 2022 race.
One key distinction is that whereas final 12 months the Jumbo-Visma racer lastly ran second total, this time Vingegaard is main, with O’Connor additionally shifting up a spot, from third to second.
The second key distinction is that the hardest three climbing phases are all but to return, so O’Connor’s podium place is, for now, on no account definitive.
However after taking a really promising fifth in Wednesday’s time trial, which he later referred to as ‘one in every of my greatest’ after which sticking in the primary GC group behind Vingegaard on Thursday’s powerful finale, the AG2R Citroën chief is wanting very a lot on observe for now. That’s clearly true for the Dauphiné, and really probably for the upcoming Tour de France as effectively.
“It was good to get by way of right now, it was really actually arduous with the tailwind and we had been at all times on the pedals, it was a fairly good chase and an excellent combat from the break, so it was on,” O’Connor mentioned afterwards.
“Within the finale, I simply managed my effort slightly bit as a result of it was full fuel.”
Driving his first race since Liège-Bastogne-Liège, O’Connor had the dangerous luck to endure a mechanical within the finale of stage 5 at Salins-les-Bains. He crossed the road in twenty fourth place, behind the primary group of favourites.
On the down aspect, the late mechanical meant he couldn’t combat for the bonus seconds nonetheless on provide for second and third place. However the somewhat greater plus was the incident had taken place contained in the three-kilometres-to-go security zone, so post-stage O’Connor was given the identical 31-second hole on stage winner Vingegaard, as all the opposite GC riders. After that near-brush with misfortune, the Australian fights on.
“It was a disgrace I couldn’t dash on the finish with a mechanical, however that’s biking, that’s how it’s,” O’Connor mentioned. “I’m simply comfortable it occurred then, not 5 kilometres early.”
Third in 2022 in a race with big significance for his sponsor, which relies close to the town of Grenoble the place the Dauphiné finishes, O’Connor coming into glorious form simply as the most important problem of the 12 months, the Tour, approaches.
“It was a fairly loopy stage with the velocity,” Workforce Sports activities Director Julien Jurdie added. “Frankly, I ask myself how the riders may go so quick, although the tailwind helped after all.
“However that sort of depth made for a loopy stage proper from the gun, everyone was driving arduous in the direction of what was a troublesome finale within the final 20 kilometres and a climb with some actually steep gradients.”
After an unexpectedly arduous stage 5, O’Connor now strikes onwards and upwards on the the Críterium du Dauphiné. The following problem is stage 6’s tough finale, together with the class 2 Col des Aravis, which each kicks off a potentially-explosive final section of the stage and in addition raises the curtain on the Alps for the 2023 Dauphiné.
“Tomorrow is difficult, I hope the climate stays kind of dry within the Alps, the descent after Aravis is difficult,” O’ Connor mentioned. “We additionally go up a climb I bear in mind from my Tour de France stage victory from a few years in the past, so hopefully I’ll have some good reminiscences.
“Like I at all times say, I’ll simply maintain doing my greatest and attempt to be up there with the highest guys day-after-day.”
