Fresh from delivering the Australian highlight of the Tour de France with his solo triumph on its most testing stage, Ben O'Connor has now targeted another spectacular three weeks at La Vuelta a Espana as his follow-up.
The world championship silver medallist had endured a fairly subdued first year riding in the colours of Australian team Jayco AlUla until he lit up the 18th day of racing at his otherwise difficult Tour last month by launching a spectacular 15km solo attack on the fiendish Col de la Loze.
The triumph, his second at the Tour, was a reminder of just how brilliant the 29-year-old O'Connor can be on his best days, just as he was at last year's Vuelta when he won the sixth stage by almost four-and-a-half minutes to take the race leader's red jersey which he held for another 12 days.
