Team Jayco AlUla rider Ben O’Connor won Stage 18 of the Tour de France, launching a brilliant attack and conquering the final climb up the Col de la Loze, the highest point of this year’s Tour. The Australian went clear from fellow breakaway rider Einer Rubio with 16km to go on the final climb, then held off the chasers to take the win, 1:45 ahead of overall race leader Tadej Pocačar.
The win was the Australian rider’s biggest victory yet since joining Team Jayco AlUla at the start of this season. It was his second career stage win at the Tour de France following his first in 2021.
O’Connor earned the victory on a special Giant Propel Advanced SL with a superlight, blacked-out finish that was built up for the Stage 10 mountain time trial and other summit finishes. His Propel is kitted out with a CADEX Max 40 WheelSystem and Aero Cotton tires along with a CADEX Aero Integrated handlebar and Amp 3D saddle.
The Australian suffered a setback when he got caught up in a crash on the opening stage, but he showed his resilience to come back and win the hardest stage, a grueling 171km day with three hors categorie climbs including the Col du Glandon, the Col de la Madeleine and the summit finish at the Col de la Loze near Courchevel. The final climb was the longest, more than 26km with an average grade of 6.5 percent.
O’Connor’s win was also vindication for the team following Mauro Schmid’s near miss on Stage 11, when the Swiss rider finished second by just inches in a two-up sprint.
“I couldn't be more proud of myself and the boys that back me every single day of this whole race, even throughout the pretty rough times,” said O’Connor.
“Thanks to everyone at Jayco AlUla, it's what the team needed and it's what I needed. It’s a rough race. It's the biggest race in the world, but it's for sure the cruelest."
“I felt much better today from the start. I was pretty active and the point where you realize you might have a shot was the top of Madeleine when Jonas [Vindergaard] and Pogi came across. I was still with them over the top of the summit, it was the perfect opportunity to go in the valley.”
Knowing he had the legs, O’Connor then focused on tactics, making all the right moves to earn one of the biggest wins of his career. He surged ahead from the breakaway group with 41km still to go, taking Rubio and Matteo Jorgenson with him. O’Connor and Rubio hit the final climb together and the Australian attacked with 16km to go.
“It was worth a shot,” he said. “On the final climb it was about just waiting for the steepest part, just before we entered Couchevel. Then it was just all about pacing and keeping on the speed, just typical time trial stuff. It's what I do best.”
The 29-year-old had time to savor the win as he hammered the final stretch. “Once Rubio was gone, I just didn't want to get rolled by the yellow jersey coming at me in those final five kilometers,” he said. “When I heard it stayed at three minutes still with three kilometers to go, I knew I was safe and it was so good."