Ben O'Connor
" I'm proud of this week
"Everyone's legs were heavy after the intense week we'd been through. We were all burnt out. But the start of the stage was crazy. Everyone wanted to break away. I'm glad I was able to hold out and feel much better at the end of the stage. Oliver Naesen, Nans Peters and Dorian Godon surrounded me very well, and I told myself that if my legs hurt, it must be even worse for them and that I had no right to give in. Our aim was to be in the match in the final. I'm proud of this week. I feel good with this group and the team trusts me. I felt supported even in the less favorable periods at the start of the season.
With the exception of Jonas Vingegaard, the level of most of the favourites is very even, and that's good news. It gives us a good idea of where we stand in the run-up to the Tour."
"I feel good with this group and the team trusts me.
The news
Alps stage reconnaissance for Ben O'Connor next week
Ben O'Connor stays in the Alps for a few days. After a little rest, next week he will reconnoiter the route of some of the Alpine stages of the Tour de France with some of his team-mates.
9
The number
Ben O' Connor's third-place finish in the Critérium du Dauphiné, one year after achieving the same result last year, is the ninth podium finish in this event for the AG2R CITROËN team since its creation, after Arturas Kasputis (3rd in 1994), Alexandre Vinokourov (winner in 1999), Benoît Salmon (3rd in 2001), Christophe Moreau (1st in 2007, 2nd in 2006), Romain Bardet (2nd in 2016, 3rd in 2018).
