O'Connor ambitious, but at the same time realistic: "If Vingegaard and Pogacar are at the starting line, you race for third place"

Ben O'Connor can rightly be called one of the best climbers in the peloton. In 2020, he already won a stage in the Giro d'Italia, followed by a stage victory in the 2021 Tour de France. Last season was one of highs and lows for the friendly Aussie. After the team presentation of Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, IDLProCycling.com sought him out for a one-on-one conversation!

"2023 was an interesting year. I especially enjoyed the start of my season, which took place in Australia. In the Tour Down Under, I raced very strongly, even with some moments of bad luck included," the 28-year-old climber starts his 2023 recap. "A season kick-off like that naturally appeals to me, all the more because it was a home race. It was one of the best conceivable ways to begin a season. I really went there to win the tour. That process really appealed to me. After that, I experienced a minor form slump. I suspect it had to do with being a bit too optimistic and ambitious after that Tour Down Under. That race influenced how I planned and approached my training, and thus also the form."

O'Connor looks back on Critérium du Dauphiné with great satisfaction, where he finished third behind Vingegaard and Adam Yates

From there, things went a bit less smoothly than hoped for O'Connor in the Tirreno-Adriatico and the Tour of Catalonia, but he gradually got the back into the groove of things after that. "In the Critérium du Dauphiné, things went exactly as I wanted. There I finished third, behind Jonas Vingegaard and Adam Yates. That was the place I deserved. Jonas and Adam are among the very best general classification riders of the moment, so that's a nice result. I even expect Jonas to join the ranks of the 'grand tour greats' in the future. It's pretty sick to be so close behind them in such a race."

"In the Tour, things didn't go at all as I wanted," he continues, emphasizing once again that it was a season of ups and downs. "I had good and bad times in that race. Overall, I'm really happy with the past year, although there were a few disappointments that hurt. One of them was missing out on a stage win in that Tour. I fell back in the general classification and had to focus on hunting for stages. Switching goals is not a problem for me as long as those new goals are achieved. So missing out on that stage win really hurt. I had two good chances, but finished third both times. I took that to heart." However, sitting down and feeling sorry for himself is not really O'Connor's style, who in that context indicates he is not the type of rider who compares seasons. "I do enjoy a bit of variety."

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The season start in the Tour Down Under and his good performance in the Dauphiné in particular are things that O'Connor will always remember. However, it has not led him to follow a similar race schedule in 2024. "Next year, I will not be starting the season in Australia again. My offseason this time is quite long, so starting early becomes a bit too difficult. You can do it for a number of seasons, but certainly not every year. It actually mainly depends on when your season ends. If you ride your last race mid-September, it's fine to start in early January in Down Under. But if you still have races in October, it becomes a different story. I actually don't even know where I'm going to start next year."

"You almost always finish in the place you deserve" is O'Connor's cycling motto

He continues: "When it comes to making your race schedule, you don't have to make many choices. To give an example: you pick your grand tours, and then in the first semester, you only choose between Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico, and later between the Tour of Catalonia and the Tour of the Basque Country. The same goes for the Tour of Switzerland and the Critérium du Dauphiné. There aren’t many options. So chances are already high that you will follow a similar path as the year before. Some people like that routine. I don't necessarily. I wouldn't mind choosing something different occasionally and simply participating in a race that I find enjoyable."

The purist fans will have had O'Connor on their radar for a while. However, the man from Subiaco only rose to fame among the wider cycling audience in 2020. At that time, he impressively won a stage in the Tour of Italy. In the following years, his level seemed to skyrocket. The rapid approach to the top did not necessarily create any additional pressure, he indicates. "When I suddenly found myself among the absolute stars, it did not necessarily increase the pressure I put on myself. That pressure is always there for me. It's mainly about satisfying the people who support you. Sometimes I feel like I have to perform for them, although that's not entirely true. They are either just happy for you, or frankly, it doesn't matter to them. Every now and then, you mentally struggle a bit and pay too much attention to what people expect and think of you. In the end, you race for yourself. Or for your team."

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"Everyone has a different mentality. You can always do better and never be satisfied. It just depends on how you see it. But sometimes, being satisfied with a nice result is enough," he then beautifully says. "Looking at myself: in the Dauphiné, I finished third and left the race feeling good. Especially because I had given it my all. Generally, I think you can say that you finish in the place you deserve. Unless you have a lot of luck on your side. Even in the 2021 Tour de France, when I climbed high in the general classification through breakaway attempts and ultimately finished fourth, I felt that I ended up in the place I deserved. I might have been lucky with the time gaps allowed in the breakaway. But once I was in the top five, I was consistently the third-strongest climber. And so I deserved that spot in the final classification."

If it were up to O'Connor, he would be riding the Giro d'Italia as well as the Tour de France in 2024

So what would make 2024 a successful year for the slender man from Oceania? "It's hard to pin down a specific result. In many races, it's already difficult to win, especially with Jonas and Tadej Pogacar participating. You have to be realistic and accept that you're probably racing for third place. In that context, I would already find it incredible if I could achieve more podium finishes in WorldTour stage races. And my ultimate goal is to one day stand on a final podium of a Grand Tour."

In the final phase of the interview, we delve deeper into O'Connor's specific race wishlist. He is currently only lacking a stage win in the Vuelta a España to join a select group of riders. "Next year, I'd like to participate in two Grand Tours. I don't know what the team wants yet, but if it's up to me, it would be a combination of the Giro and the Tour," he says somewhat surprisingly. "The Giro is highest on my list. I would just see what happens after that. We are a French team, after all, so the Tour is the most important race for us. I've always performed well in the Tour, so I'm confident about that. In the Vuelta, I would also like to have the opportunity again. When I participated in 2022, I really enjoyed it. So, I wouldn't mind repeating that. Actually, I don't really have an idea yet, except that the Giro seems the most fun to me and I'd like to ride two Grand Tours."

Finally: fellow Aussie Jack Haig (Bahrain Victorious) recently shared that he hasn't been back to his homeland since 2016. Is the same true for O'Connor? "I do go back to Australia occasionally. In fact, I was there just a few days ago. Normally, I go home once a year. It does cause jet lag, but I don't mind going back. However, I haven't gone every year. During the coronavirus period, Australia was quite strict with its rules, and it was difficult for me to return home. But of course, it's always nice to be back in your home country and see family and friends. Chilling on the beach is also quite nice. On the other hand, I do have to say that at some point you get used to life in Europe. This continent now feels like home to me too. I basically moved my whole life here, and all my responsibilities are here. Jack is just an extreme example," he chuckles. "After my career, I would like to go back to Australia. That's where my heart lies."