‘This is what team needed, what I needed': O’Connor celebrates solo victory on queen stage of Tour de France

Australian cyclist Ben O’Connor raised his fist and pounded his chest as he won stage 18 of the Tour de France overnight.

The Perth climber celebrated a solo victory on the highest summit finish of this year’s race – Col de la Loze (2304m) – where the European summer appeared to turn to a wintry day with overcast skies and cold, low-laying fog reducing visibility.

The triumph released the shackles of desperation teams yet to claim a stage in this year’s race have endured, with O’Connor’s Jayco Alula squad now no longer among them.

O’Connor made the main breakaway on what was the queen stage, which featured three hors categorie climbs including Col du Glandon, Col de la Madeleine, and Col de la Loze, and attacked with 42km of the 171.5km race remaining, taking Einer Rubio (Movistar) and Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease A Bike) with him. The 29-year-old dropped his last rival, Rubio, with 16km to go, and then held off race leader Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates-XRG) and two-time Tour champion Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease A Bike), who finished more than a minute back to take out minor placings.

Pure grit: Ben O'Connor en route to victory. Photo: ASO/Billy Ceusters

“That was the main gap I was looking for [to yellow jersey group],” O’Connor said post-race. “Once Rubio was gone that was all I cared about. I just didn’t want to get rolled by the yellow jersey coming at me in those final 5km. When I heard it’s staying at three minutes still with 3km to go we were safe.

“The point where you realise you could have a shot was the top of Madeleine, when Jonas and Pogi came across and we were still with them over the top of the summit. It was a perfect opportunity to go in the valley.”

O’Connor’s career second Tour stage victory comes four years after he celebrated a solo win in Tignes on race debut.

“This is a climb I actually have some good memories of because I rode for a teammate [who] won over here, so it was pretty sweet to do it again, but this time it’s me who puts the hands up,” he said.

The 29-year-old entered the 112^th edition with the ambition of finishing top five on general classification but reverted his focus to stage wins after injuries from a crash on stage one ultimately cost him time. His teammates executed the playbook perfectly on the first mountain test in the Alps, with Australian national time trial champion Luke Plapp and Australian national road champion Luke Durbridge helping to position O’Connor, who has now jumped to 10th on general classification with three stages remaining.

“It's a rough race. It’s the biggest race in the world, but it’s for sure the cruellest,” O’Connor said.

“I wanted to have another a victory for so many years now. I’ve been fighting with thirds and fourths and so close, but I couldn’t be more proud of myself, and the boys. They’ve backed me every single day this whole race, even throughout the pretty rough times. So, thanks to everyone at Jayco Alula. This is what the team needed, and it’s what I needed.”

Tonight’s second mountain test in the Alps has been cut from 129.9km to 95km, with race organiser ASO removing the Col des Saisies from the route due to the distress of local farmers who had to cull cattle diagnosed with contagious nodular dermatitis.

Ten Australians started the Tour de France and nine remain in the race after Jack Haig crashed out on stage seven.

Thriving, not surviving: Aussie Harry Sweeny is riding high on morale in his career second Tour. Photo: Gruber Images

Harry Sweeny has enjoyed an incredibly successful campaign with EF Education-EasyPost, assisting Irishman Ben Healy, who is currently ninth on general classification, to a stage win in the first term of the race, and later a stint in the yellow jersey.

Sweeny doesn’t see anyone beating Pogacar for the leader’s jersey, even though Vingegaard has not given up the fight. Pogacar increased his advantage on his principal rival to 4:26 overnight.

“I don’t think so to be honest. I really don’t think so,” Sweeny said when asked if anyone could beat Pogacar to the race title. “Even without his team he’s so good. His ability to position alone is also unmatched by any other GC leader, so to try and catch him out in crosswinds, for example, is incredibly hard to do. I can’t really see it happening.”

Main image: ASO