Winning the hardest stage of the Tour de France will surely remain a major highlight of Ben O'Connor's career long after he has retired. But globally, injuries and crashes and subsequent GC setbacks meant that overall the Australian could not enjoy or do the racing the way he wanted - and at the Vuelta a España the Jayco-AlUla leader is feeling far more upbeat all round.
As the runner-up overall in the 2024 Vuelta sees it, compared to the 2025 Tour, in the Spanish equivalent event, he's able to do what he calls "some straightforward racing."
