Checkout to Podium: Ben O’Connor Shocks La Vuelta with Masterful Move on Stage 6
“They must have started in the confectionery aisle,” quipped Eurosport’s Robbie McEwen, perfectly capturing the energy of today’s Stage 6 at La Vuelta a España. The stage kicked off from the checkout lane of a Carrefour Jerez Sur Market—an undeniably quirky and on-brand move for the unpredictable Spanish Grand Tour.
Inside Carrefour, a massive shopping center in southern Andalusia, the peloton lined up for the start of the stage under bright lights and shiny floors. The unusual start was coordinated to celebrate Carrefour’s 12 years as a sponsor of La Vuelta.
After checkout, what followed was a punishing first hour of racing, with the peloton averaging 48.7 kph (30 mph) as attacks flew off the front before the day’s breakaway took shape.
Out of that break, Ben O’Connor (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale) delivered a masterclass in timing and strategy (or maybe just got really lucky). The 28-year-old Australian took both the stage victory and the leader’s Red Jersey from Visma-Lease a Bike’s Primož Roglič, executing a series of well-timed moves that left his rivals scrambling. O’Connor, who began the day 23rd in the General Classification (GC), took advantage of the hesitation of the GC contenders during the stage’s decisive summit finish on the Laguna Negra.
So, how did O’Connor manage to take the Red Jersey off Roglič’s shoulders?
It came down to strategy and committing to a move. With the GC contenders looking at each other, O’Connor slipped away from the breakaway, building a gap the undecided peloton could not close in time. Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe and Bahrain Victorious seemed content to let the break go, conserving energy for later stages, perhaps feeling confident that O’Connor—sitting well outside the top ten standings—wasn’t an immediate threat.
But that’s where they miscalculated. Capitalizing on the strategic “shadowboxing” typical of the early stages of a Grand Tour, O’Connor attacked when rival teams hesitated. Whether it was miscommunication in the team radios, that they were waiting for someone else to do the work, or simply underestimating the Aussie, their inaction let him build a commanding lead.
There was also the energy-sapping Spanish heat. After several tough stages, no team seemed eager to use resources chasing down a rider who, despite his earlier struggles in the race, has a questionable reputation for consistent GC form.
And that wasn’t all, as O’Connor’s impressive ride also had its challenges. After dropping his breakaway partner on the penultimate climb, O’Connor crashed on the descent but recovered quickly to resume his lead, adding drama to the day. The Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale rider turned a near two-minute deficit to Roglič into a commanding lead of almost five minutes, showcasing incredible form at the end of a highly competitive road season.
“I felt like I was in my own world today,” O’Connor said after the stage. “When the group of 30 went, I was disappointed, but when the race opened again, I just went for it. It was one of those days when I knew I could win. And I loved every moment.”
As the day’s breakaway thinned, O’Connor broke clear with Gijs Leemreize (dsm-firmenich PostNL), then surged solo on the Puerto Martínez climb to seal the win. Meanwhile, Marco Frigo (Premiere Tech) managed to take second place after his own crash, and Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) rounded out the podium after overtaking Leemreize.
While we saw some panicked riding from the peloton trying to close the gap in the last part of the race, O’Connor’s audacious move had already taken its toll. The Aussie’s win reshaped the race, proving that in cycling, the line between opportunity and disaster is often defined by the willingness to take a chance when others hold back.
What’s Next? Stage 7: Archidona - Córdoba, 181.2 kilometers
Stage 7 promises a dynamic 181.2 km route from Archidona to Córdoba. While mostly flat, it features a key climb, the “Alto del 14%” (yes, that’s the real name), a 7.4 km ascent averaging 6.5 percent, with a brutal kilometer at 10 percent near the top. This climb, coming with 25 km to go, sets the stage for some serious attacks before a flat but non-technical 11 km run to the finish.
It’s a stage that suits a versatile rider like Visma-Lease a Bike’s Wout van Aert, still rocking the Green Jersey and primed for a sprint finish. But don’t count out a well-timed breakaway that could spoil it for the sprinters.
Expect teams like Premier Tech to push the pace on the climb, hoping to shed rival sprinters and open up chances for riders like Corbin Strong, Dylan Teuns, or even GC contenders such as Aleksandr Vlasov (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe). With attacks likely on either the climb or the descent, we could see some surprises.
Adding to the challenge is the weather—blistering 38°C (100.4°F) heat and the possibility of strong winds could break the peloton into echelons early on. The flat run-in to Córdoba and its wide finish make it tough for any team to control the race if the pace is high like it was on today’s Stage 6.
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