Ben O’Connor Finishes Sixth in 15th Stage of La Vuelta a Espana

Australian cyclist Ben O’Connor has expressed his satisfaction with his performance in the 15th stage of the La Vuelta a Espana. O’Connor, who rides for the AG2R CITROËN team, finished sixth in the stage, which featured multiple climbs.

O’Connor credited his team for making the race harder, which played to his strengths. “With the altitude, I wanted to manage my climb so as never to go over the limit. I wanted to stay on Remco’s (Evenepoel) wheel because it wasn’t my job to work,” O’Connor said.

He also acknowledged the challenge of keeping up with Primoz Roglic in the final stretch. “Primoz came through in the final and it was hard to keep up with him, so I gave it my all,” O’Connor added.

O’Connor praised his teammate Floris Arensman for his victory and expressed his satisfaction with his own performance. “We tried to limit the gap to him, but he rode a superb stage. I’m still very satisfied with my day,” O’Connor said.

After fifteen stages, O’Connor is currently in ninth place overall. His team’s sports director, Julien Jurdie, praised his performance on the Sierra Nevada climb and expressed optimism for the remaining stages of the race.

“Ben O’Connor put in a great performance on this Sierra Nevada climb, which is one of the highlights of the Vuelta a Espana. We’ll be able to approach this final week with more serenity and look ahead with the ambition of continuing to make up places in the overall classification,” Jurdie said.

In other news, Clément Venturini, another rider from the AG2R CITROËN team, finished sixth in the Tour du Doubs. Despite missing the chance to take the lead in the French Cup, Venturini’s sports director, Jean-Baptiste Quiclet, praised the team’s collective performance.

“The AG2R CITROËN team was represented in all the important moves of the day. We’ll remember the team’s excellent collective performance today,” Quiclet said.

With strong performances from O’Connor and Venturini, the AG2R CITROËN team continues to make its mark in professional cycling.