The West Australian took the race into his own hands with a long-range attack from the early breakaway in atrocious conditions and over the hardest mountains so far in the Tour de France. He shed Colombian mountain goats Nairo Quintana (Arkea-Samsic) and Sergio Higuita (EF Education-Nippo) on the final climb to the ski resort in Tignes.
“It’s so fulfilling, there’s so much joy,"said O'Connor. "I managed to control myself now compared to when I crossed the line.
"It’s just loving every single moment. I’m so happy for AG2R-Citroen, they had so much faith in me. It’s been so clear how much happiness it’s brought to me and the team… and now a win."
It wasn't just the stage win on the line, but crucial minutes on the general classification. O'Connor started the stage in 14th overall, just over eight minutes deficit on race leader Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), but took over six minutes back with his bold attack, vaulting up to second on the general classification. The 25-year-old spoke of how the race panned out on the road.
“I wasn’t meant to be in the break but it was a big group and I just crossed to it," said O'Connor. "I was just waiting, I didn’t really know what to do. I heard we had three, four, five minutes and I knew I had a great chance to gain time on the GC.
"On a long day like this, I always knew I could win in the end. I was blowing pretty hard on Tignes, but it was a mad stage. Conditions were atrocious. Maybe I should be descending a bit better next time, that would have saved a lot of energy."
All sorts of emotions were going through O'Connor's head on the final climb, from fears that he would be chased down, to experiencing the physical effects of elation.
“I was scared that Tadej was going to explode from behind and catch me when it got hard, but I knew if stayed steady and didn’t cramp then I could win the stage," said O'Connor. "As soon as you think, ‘I can win a stage of the Tour de France’, all sorts of things happen to your mind, your lungs, your heart. It can make your heart stop, it definitely stopped mine just before!”
“It was always the dream. Just to be here in the first place was the first dream. To do this today, I think it’s testament to everyone who has put faith in me over the years… my fiancée, my family, my best mates back in Australia, my friends in Andorra, my friends in Girona, it’s been a wild ride. It’s mind-blowing.
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The Cote de Domancy was the scene for the early fireworks as the riders not too tired from yesterday's brutal first excursion to the mountains attempted to jump clear of the peloton. A group of 40 moved its way clear in a messy, disorganised fit of spurts and attacks. Team BikeExhange were on an early mission for points at the intermediate and pushed hard into sprint. Colbrelli took out the wet sprint to the line, but Matthews was second, moving 17 points closer to the leader in the classification, Mark Cavendish on 168 points to Matthews' 130, with Colbrelli third on 121.
King of the mountains leader Wout Poels (Bahrain Victorious) attacked on Col des Saisies as he tried to buffer his lead in the competition. Nairo Quintana (Arkea-Samsic) took off in pursuit, sprinting and nearly catching Poels on the line, but just missing out in a photo finish.
Aussies Ben O’Connor and Lucas Hamilton (Team BikeExchange) fought their way clear of the large group to move into pursuit of Poels and Quintana, eventually joining them along with Sergio Higuita (EF Education-Nippo).
The Col du Pre was the next main challenge, the first hors categorie climb of the Tour de France so far, with the steep incline taking its toll with Hamilton and Poels dropping off the pace. O'Connor kept at the front, and moved into the virtual race lead as the group's lead over Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) in the peloton pushed beyond the West Australian's 8'13 deficit at the start of the stage.
Quintana moved into the mountains jersey with his points on the Col du Pre and the Col de Roselend, taking the lead in the classification from Poels as the rain continued to come down hard on the Alps. The Colombian pair weren't keen to contribute to O'Connor's bid for the yellow jersey using near-team tactics at times, eventually dropping O'Connor on the descent from the Col de Roselend.
The long, wet descent saw Higuita move clear at the front of the race, but Quintana returned, and then O'Connor clawed back a 35-second deficit on the flatlands on the lead-in to the finish to the ski station at the top of Tignes. The 21.5-kilometre ascent loomed at the end of the stage, with a short flat section to the line after the climb officially topped out with two kilometres left.
The UAE Team Emirates squad had taken the descent from the Col de Roselend cautiously, but still suffered a dramatic crash as a moment of inattention from Brandon McNulty saw him tumble down a grassy incline. They then re-ignited the pace on the short valley section before the climb to Tignes, dragging O'Connor's gap back within the point where Pogačar would retain the leader's yellow jersey.
Quintana dropped from the front trio soon after the start of the climb, with Higuita cooperating with O'Connor on the early slopes of the mountain. O'Connor proved the strongest quickly though, upping the pace to move clear of his Colombian rival with 17 kilometres to go.
O'Connor was conspicuous in his good habits throughout the race, eating and drinking regularly, wearing the right clothing and keeping himself in good condition which allowed him to maintain the strength to keep his pace high throughout the final climb.
His consistent pace saw him only concede a few minutes to his fellow general classification riders as he soloed to the win on the final climb, despite being alone against the forces of INEOS Grenadiers and UAE Team Emirates. The West Australian won by five minutes and seven seconds to Mattia Cattaneo (Deceuninck-QuickStep) who came from a group behind to finish second, with Colbrelli in third.
An attack from Richard Carapaz (INEOS Grenadiers) kicked off the action from the general classification group within two kilometres of the climb finish, but again it was Pogačar who proved the strongest, easing past Carapaz's surge with a move of his own and powering away. By the top of the climb, the race leader had significantly limited his losses to O'Connor and added an extra half minute time padding over the rest of the field.
O'Connor moved into second overall with his bold attack, two minutes and one second behind the race leader, with Rigoberto Uran (EF Education-Nippo) moving up into third, five minutes and 18 seconds behind Pogačar.
The Tour de France will take a well-earned rest day, before returning with an expected sprint stage, 191 kilometre stage from Albertville to Valence. Watch from Tuesday evening at 2030 AEST on SBS, SBS OnDemand and the SKODA Tour Tracker for all the action from what has been a tumultuos Tour de France.
