Ben O’Connor makes his debut with Jayco AlUla on the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana in Spain on Wednesday, taking up João Almeida and Brandon McNulty (UAE Crew Emirates-XRG), Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) and fellow Australian Jai Hindley (Reb Invoice-Bora-Hansgrohe).
The five-day Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana begins with a 34.3km staff time trial on Wednesday and ends on Sunday with a stage for the sprinters in Valencia. The general classification will probably be selected stage 2 to Benifato and stage 3 to Alpuente. Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek), Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Ethan Vernon (Israel-Premier Tech) are anticipated to contest any dash finishes.
O’Connor stated he was searching for the ‘first large results of the season’, with Jayco AlUla additionally deciding on Jasha Sütterlin, Bob Donaldson, Jelte Krijnsen and the skilled Michael Hepburn and Chris Juul-Jensen.
“It will likely be my first time on the Volta Comunitat Valenciana however above all, it is my first race with my new staff,” O’Connor stated.
“Since I began my skilled profession, I all the time knew that, in the end, I might be a part of the GreenEdge household. For us Australian riders, Crew Jayco AlUla stays the reference staff and I’m very proud to be right here.
“My purpose is to offer my finest and get the primary large results of the season. We now have a really aggressive staff, which might do properly on the TTT after which it is going to be as much as me to be sturdy on the numerous climbs of the Spanish race.”
Jayco AlUla missed out on the Tour Down Below however Mauro Schmid made amends by successful Sunday’s Cadel Evans Nice Ocean Street Race.
O’Connor was the most effective stage race riders of 2024, ending second on the UAE Tour, fourth on the Giro d’Italia after which second on the Vuelta a España after spending two weeks within the chief’s jersey. He ended the yr with second behind Tadej Pogačar on the UCI Street World Championships.
O’Connor, fourth within the 2021 Tour de France, will lead Jayco AlUla within the Grand Tour in July.
“I am undoubtedly going to return to the Tour although, that is for positive. That is most likely the principle goal, I might love to offer that race one other crack and see the way it finally ends up,” he informed Cyclingnews throughout the winter.
“To be an Aussie GC man, going to the Tour with an Aussie staff; I do not know in the event that they’ve actually had that earlier than,” stated O’Connor.
“I believe that is an thrilling factor for Aussie biking, to be trustworthy.”
O’Connor spent the winter at his European base in Andorra, having fun with time along with his child daughter Josephine, who was born in the summertime and coaching along with his new teammates.
“It is early season in fact however we nonetheless have ambitions right here. It is the primary race for Ben O’Connor with the staff and his preparation has thus far gone all to plan,” directeur sportif David McPartland stated.
“We are going to goal to do a great race with him within the GC. First, we have now the tremendous necessary TTT on stage one. This may set the scene for the next phases and the way the race unfolds.
“The week general is a strong one with three of the 5 phases comprising greater than 3,000m of climbing. There’s additionally the final stage and probably one of many lighter mountain phases the place we might even see a decreased bunch dash and for that, we have now one other new member in Jelte Krijnsen for a outcome.”
