“Anywhere but fourth” was how Ben O'Connor described his GC objectives in the Vuelta a España before the race and the Australian more than accomplished that goal with a second place overall in Madrid that crowned a milestone three-week performance in his career.
The Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale racer not only claimed a stunning solo stage win in the first week of the Vuelta, he then managed to defend the Vuelta lead he’d simultaneously captured for 13 days, only finally ceding it to overall winner Primoz Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) on stage 19 at the Moncalvillo.
