Latest news with #JaycoAlUla
News.com.au
2 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Tour de France 2025: Aussie cyclists rated as Groves, O'Connor, Plapp and more deliver big
The Tour de France may have finished in Paris yesterday under sodden skies but it was definitely a bright outlook for the Australian talent. Ten faced the starter three weeks ago in Lille and nine made it to Paris after Jack Haig crashed at the end of the first week. Kaden Groves was just fantastic on Saturday, claiming his maiden Tour de France victory in his debut Tour with a brilliant solo attack 16 kilometres out from the finish in Pontarlier. The Australian, who has won stages at the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España, burst into tears after crossing the line, overwhelmed at claiming the victory. 'There's so much pressure at the Tour,' Groves said at the finish. 'Having won in the Giro and the Vuelta, all I'm asked is whether I'm good enough to win at the Tour. And now I've shown them.' Groves is a world-class sprinter but this win was one out of the ordinary as it was a pretty gnarly stage, and to ride away from some quality riders and win alone was special. Fellow Queenslander Harry Sweeny had attempted his own solo attack on the same stage. He opened a gap of 40 seconds before being reeled in, but was awarded the most combative prize. On the monster Queen stage 18, Aussie Ben O'Connor conquered the highest summit of the 2025 Tour de France to claim his first win for Jayco AlUla. And what a brilliant ride it was. A 16km solo on the toughest stage of the race in the final week. That's when many falter, but O'Connor finally found his form in this year's race. To get in the break is tough. To force the pace and make it stick is hard. But to be then joined by the heavyweights – Tour winner Tadej Pogacar and runner-up Jonas Vingegaard – and be able to ride away from them is bloody serious. His ferocious attack showed just how good the young man from Western Australia is. This was one of the most impressive stage victories ever by an Australian. Last year O'Connor was unstoppable, but after a spectacular crash on day one, he had struggled to find the exceptional form he is capable of. 'It's special to do it again here in the Tour de France,' an elated O'Connor said. 'Having that moment today is absolutely massive. You always want another win at the Tour and you can't get enough of these.' It had been a successful Tour for Jayco, with Mauro Schmid 's oh-so-close second and Luke Plapp 's brilliant time trials. But it needed a win and O'Connor delivered. Team owner Gerry Ryan was overjoyed with the win. 'The team have worked hard for this victory,' an excited Ryan said. 'But we needed a win. Strong efforts and close finishes may show just how well we're going, but winning a stage is very important, not just for our riders and sponsors, but for all our staff who work so hard.' Plapp, riding his first Tour de France, was all smiles in Paris. 'It's the most brutal race but the most beautiful race,' he said. 'It's just the hardest race I've ever done. I just want to be in Paris every year at the end of July.' Michael Storer (Tudor Pro Cycling) rode a super aggressive Tour and whenever the roads rose up he seemed to be there. His third on Stage 6 was impressive. There is no doubt he will challenge again.
7NEWS
5 days ago
- Sport
- 7NEWS
Aussie Ben O'Connor celebrates amazing Stage 18 victory in Tour de France: ‘Proud of myself'
Ben O'Connor, who has long considered the Tour de France a relentless and unforgiving challenge, roared back on Thursday with a stunning Stage 18 victory in the Alps to finally bury memories of all the crashes he has suffered in recent years. 'It's a pretty cruel race,' the 29-year-old said after crossing the line alone at the Col de la Loze. 'I've just found myself on the deck in the first two days a few times, but not really for my own fault. Stage one here, it wasn't my fault – I was just taken out,' the Jayco AlUla rider said. 'In Copenhagen (in 2022), same thing, sprint finish, crash in front of me, nowhere to go. And then you had the crash in 2021 (when a fan holding a cardboard sign caused a massive pile up). So yeah, the first couple days really haven't treated me well at all in this race before.' O'Connor, who won a stage to Tignes and finished fourth overall in 2021, has battled to replicate those highs. 'Getting it done today means a lot to me,' he said. 'I'm very proud of myself and very proud of the team.' The win came after a bold attack from the bottom of the valley before the final climb, a plan he hatched with his team's sports director Matthew Hayman. 'He told me you've got nothing to lose,' O'Connor said. 'If you're going to win, you have to go from the bottom of the valley ... and that's what happened. On the Col de la Loze, it was pretty straightforward – you either had it or you didn't.' O'Connor switched from French squad AG2R Citroen to Australian outfit Jayco AlUla this season, a move he said brought a fresh sense of belonging. 'It's about time I finally got a big result on the board being an Aussie rider on an Aussie team,' he said. Asked whether the stage victory mattered more than a top-10 finish in Paris, O'Connor was emphatic. 'Yes, definitely. Getting your hands up in the air is the most enjoyable thing,' he said. 'It's only when you complete a GC and you've done a perfect race yourself and you're proud of every single day that you've tapped it out and you've ticked the boxes, then that gives you a different kind of satisfaction.'
ABC News
5 days ago
- Sport
- ABC News
Australia's Ben O'Connor wins Tour de France's stage 18 in the Alps
Australia's Ben O'Connor, who has long considered the Tour de France a relentless and unforgiving challenge, roared back with a stunning stage 18 victory in the Alps to finally bury memories of the crashes he has suffered in recent years. O'Connor, eyes blazing with determination, launched a ferocious solo attack on the fearsome Col de la Loze and never looked back. "It's a pretty cruel race," O'Connor said after crossing the line alone at the Col de la Loze. "I've just found myself on the deck in the first two days a few times, but not really for my own fault. Stage one here, it wasn't my fault. I was just taken out. "In Copenhagen [in 2022], same thing: sprint finish, crash in front of me, nowhere to go. And then you had the crash in 2021. "So the first couple days really haven't treated me well at all in this race before." O'Connor, who won a stage to Tignes and finished fourth overall in 2021, has battled to replicate those highs. "Getting it done today means a lot to me," he said. "I'm very proud of myself and very proud of the team." O'Connor's win came after a bold attack from the bottom of the valley before the final climb, a plan he hatched with his team's sports director Matthew Hayman. "He told me, 'You've got nothing to lose,'" O'Connor said. "If you're going to win, you have to go from the bottom of the valley … and that's what happened. "On the Col de la Loze, it was pretty straightforward. You either had it or you didn't." O'Connor switched from French squad AG2R Citroen to Australian outfit Jayco AlUla this season, a move he said brought a fresh sense of belonging. "It's about time I finally got a big result on the board being an Aussie rider on an Aussie team," he said. Asked whether the stage victory mattered more than a top-10 finish in Paris, O'Connor was emphatic. "Yes, definitely. Getting your hands up in the air is the most enjoyable thing," he said. "It's only when you complete a GC (general classification) and you've done a perfect race yourself and you're proud of every single day that you've tapped it out and you've ticked the boxes, then that gives you a different kind of satisfaction." Jonas Vingegaard's attempt to dethrone Tadej Pogačar at the top of the overall standings imploded in spectacular fashion on the race's most brutal Alpine battleground. Pogačar defended his crown with ice-cold precision, gaining 11 more seconds on Vingegaard and stretching his overall advantage to a commanding four minutes and 26 seconds after taking second place. "Today was brutal. Maybe the hardest stage I've ever done in the Tour," admitted a drained Vingegaard after the finish. "We had a big plan, you saw it, but I couldn't take a second on Tadej. The Tour isn't over, still." Reuters/ABC
Perth Now
5 days ago
- Sport
- Perth Now
O'Connor tastes the good side of Le Tour again
Ben O'Connor, who has long considered the Tour de France a relentless and unforgiving challenge, roared back on Thursday with a stunning Stage 18 victory in the Alps to finally bury memories of all the crashes he has suffered in recent years. "It's a pretty cruel race," the 29-year-old said after crossing the line alone at the Col de la Loze. "I've just found myself on the deck in the first two days a few times, but not really for my own fault. Stage one here, it wasn't my fault – I was just taken out," the Jayco AlUla rider said. "In Copenhagen (in 2022), same thing, sprint finish, crash in front of me, nowhere to go. And then you had the crash in 2021 (when a fan holding a cardboard sign caused a massive pile up). So yeah, the first couple days really haven't treated me well at all in this race before." O'Connor, who won a stage to Tignes and finished fourth overall in 2021, has battled to replicate those highs. "Getting it done today means a lot to me," he said. "I'm very proud of myself and very proud of the team." The win came after a bold attack from the bottom of the valley before the final climb, a plan he hatched with his team's sports director Matthew Hayman. "He told me you've got nothing to lose," O'Connor said. "If you're going to win, you have to go from the bottom of the valley ... and that's what happened. On the Col de la Loze, it was pretty straightforward – you either had it or you didn't." O'Connor switched from French squad AG2R Citroen to Australian outfit Jayco AlUla this season, a move he said brought a fresh sense of belonging. "It's about time I finally got a big result on the board being an Aussie rider on an Aussie team," he said. Asked whether the stage victory mattered more than a top-10 finish in Paris, O'Connor was emphatic. "Yes, definitely. Getting your hands up in the air is the most enjoyable thing," he said. "It's only when you complete a GC and you've done a perfect race yourself and you're proud of every single day that you've tapped it out and you've ticked the boxes, then that gives you a different kind of satisfaction."
The National
5 days ago
- Sport
- The National
Tour de France 2025: Tadej Pogacar inches towards title as Ben O'Connor wins stage 18
Australian Ben O'Connor of Jayco AlUla team won the 18th stage of the Tour de France, even as Tadej Pogacar tightened his grip over the yellow jersey. O'Connor won Thursday's monster Alpine stage to the ski resort of Courchevel as three-time Tour de France champion and UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider Pogacar responded to attacks from rival Jonas Vingegaard and dropped him to cement his grip on the yellow jersey. With just three stages left before the race ends in Paris, Pogacar looks poised to retain his title, with a comfortable lead of more than four minutes over Vingegaard, a two-time champion. Starting with the day with a deficit of 4:15s, second-placed Vingegaard attacked a massive 71km out with Pogacar tracking him and eventually dropping the Dane to gain more time near the final summit. Jayco Alula's stage winner O'Connor said he was relieved to win again four years after his triumph in the Alps at Tignes. 'It's amazing to win here and I'm relieved to get a win for the team,' said O'Connor, who rode at a steady pace all the way up the final climb. '(The Tour) is a rough race,' O'Connor said. 'It's the biggest race in the world but for sure it's the cruellest. I've wanted another victory for so many years now, I've had a lot of thirds and fourths, so close. 'I couldn't be more proud of myself and the boys that have backed me every single day this whole race, even in the pretty rough times.' UAE Team Emirates star Pogacar is now on the cusp of a fourth Tour de France title, after reversing the roles and sitting on Vingegaard's wheel and wasting little energy. Vingegaard was subdued atop the Col de La Loze. 'It was brutal, I've never lived anything so hard. The team did well and we had a good plan, but I couldn't take any time off Tadej,' he said. On the mountain where Pogacar famously cracked in 2023 as Vingegaard rode away to his second Tour crown, Pogacar was the one gaining time two years later as a late dig at the summit saw him add 11 seconds to an overall lead that now stands at four minutes and 26 seconds over Vingegaard. Friday's five mountain slog amid the imposing panoramas between Albertville and La Plaigne will be the last chance for a reversal of fortunes with 60km of steep slopes to negotiate. The race ends Sunday in Paris with the finish line at the Champs Elysees after three climbs to the Sacre Coeur Basilica on the cobbled lanes of Montmartre. %3Cp%3EMATA%0D%3Cbr%3EArtist%3A%20M.I.A%0D%3Cbr%3ELabel%3A%20Island%0D%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A The%20specs%3A%202024%20Mercedes%20E200 %3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%20four-cyl%20turbo%20%2B%20mild%20hybrid%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E204hp%20at%205%2C800rpm%20%2B23hp%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E320Nm%20at%201%2C800rpm%20%2B205Nm%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E9-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7.3L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENovember%2FDecember%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh205%2C000%20(estimate)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A Key facilities Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes Premier League-standard football pitch 400m Olympic running track NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium 600-seat auditorium Spaces for historical and cultural exploration An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad Specialist robotics and science laboratories AR and VR-enabled learning centres Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills Specs Engine: Duel electric motors Power: 659hp Torque: 1075Nm On sale: Available for pre-order now Price: On request Tips for taking the metro - set out well ahead of time - make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines - enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on - don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers Fast%20X %3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Louis%20Leterrier%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Vin%20Diesel%2C%20Michelle%20Rodriguez%2C%20Jason%20Statham%2C%20Tyrese%20Gibson%2C%20Ludacris%2C%20Jason%20Momoa%2C%20John%20Cena%2C%20Jordana%20Brewster%2C%20Nathalie%20Emmanuel%2C%20Sung%20Kang%2C%20Brie%20Larson%2C%20Helen%20Mirren%20and%20Charlize%20Theron%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A The Details Kabir Singh Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa Rating: 2.5/5 The Penguin Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz Creator: Lauren LeFranc Rating: 4/5
