La Vuelta Espana (Stage 18): Ben O'Connor finishes seventh

[su_quote cite=Ben O'Connor]

Ben O'Connor: "I'm missing out on the win

"I'm not really satisfied with my result today. I mismanaged the final and may have missed out on victory. I really wanted to win. I was hoping for a fast final climb, but it was purely tactical and I wasted too much energy unnecessarily. I should have waited because I was very strong and it could have worked. Joao Almeida's attack didn't bother us, but it made the race fun. I prefer it when it's chaotic like today. The other stages of this Vuelta hard enough for me. There are two days left to do better."[/su_quote]

Key number: 8

Ben O'Connor remains in eighth place overall in the Vuelta Espana. "It was a spectacular stage today, as is often the case in the Vuelta. We all thought that the breakaway would fight for the win, but the favorites decided otherwise. The AG2R CITROËN team rose to the occasion with strong work from Nans (Peters) and Nicolas (Prodhomme) for Ben (O'Connor), who was one of the strongest riders today. The important thing to remember is that the legs felt good and the team spirit has been impeccable since the start of this third week. This bodes well for the last two battles, as we know that Ben can move up a few places in the general classification and that the team is capable of winning a stage," said Julien Jurdie, sports director of the AG2R CITROËN team.  

News: Nans Peters and Nicolas Prodhomme escape

Nans Peters and Nicolas Prodhomme broke away in the eighteenth stage of the Vuelta Espana. "The goal was for Nans (Peters) or me to break away today, and it worked for both of us. The organization was special, with a lot of people. The overall favorites shut it down, but we were able to act as a relay for Ben (O'Connor), who was very strong today. We'll have to try again over the next two days with the goal of winning the stage or helping Ben," said Nicolas Prodhomme.