Ben O'Connor: "It makes me proud
"Finishing eighth in the Vuelta España makes me proud. It's my second top 10 finish in a Grand tour two years, which shows consistency in my results.
I think I finish where I deserve to be. I had a difficult first week and then I felt better. The twentieth stage yesterday was not easy for me, I completely exploded but I managed to keep my place and I am happy about that.
It's a good effort and a new experience for the rest of my career."[/su_quote]
[su_quote cite=Julien Jurdie]
Julien Jurdie: "Encouraging for the future
Ben O'Connor finished this Vuelta Espana in an impressive eighth place. We initially thought he could finish around the top five, but we were also aware of the difficulties he had experienced after withdrawing from Tour France. This is an encouraging result for the future, as it once again demonstrates his endurance and recovery skills, which are key assets in Grand Tours.
We saw the AG2R CITROËN team fight hard throughout these three weeks. Even though they sometimes lacked physical strength, there is nothing to complain about in terms of the temperament, character, and commitment of our riders they tried to win a stage and protect Ben's place in the overall standings.
Key number: 2
Finishing eighth overall in the Vuelta Espana, Ben O'Connor secured his second top 10 finish in a Grand tour his fourth place in Tour 2021 Tour France.
Ben O'Connor, with the Australian team, and Bob Jungels, with the Luxembourg team, will compete in the road race at the World Championships in Wollongong (September 25) in Australia.
The same goes for Stan Dewulf with the Belgian team.
News : Marc Sarreau eighth of the Grand Prix of Fourmies
Marc Sarreau took the eighth place in the Grand Prix de Fourmies.Before the last two rounds of the French Cup, Clément Venturini and Marc Sarreau are respectively third and sixth in the individual ranking.
The AG2R CITROËN team is third in the team ranking.
