Australia’s Ben O’Connor is out of the shadows and primed to scale cycling’s heights | Martin Pegan

The Jayco AlUla rider is finally in a position find out what he’s capable of at a grand tour with form, fitness and a strong team behind him

Ben O’Connor is just one of the many in the current generation of professional cyclists who knows how it feels to finish as the best of the rest. The Australian’s proudest moment on a bike comes not from raising his arms in triumph on the road, but while finishing second behind Tadej Pogacar at the world championships in 2024. “That was a huge race, an amazing experience, and one where I was very proud to carry myself on to the podium and to hold up the Aussie flag,” he says.

It was that Pogacar victory in Zurich which made him just the third rider to claim the “triple crown” of the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and world road title in the same year – the toughest prize in men’s cycling. The 27-year-old added a fourth Tour de France overall title in 2025, to now be one short of equalling the record haul, as he continues to stake his claim as road cycling’s GOAT. But O’Connor is putting together his own palmarès that stands up against the next tier of riders who are largely unable to compete with the Slovenian superstar. Continue reading...