Tour de France 2025: Aussie Ben O'Connor in top 20 at halfway mark
The battle for the Maillot Jaune has been fascinating.
Tadej Pogacar has been happy to pass it to anyone who is not a real threat for his title.
It takes pressure off his UAE Emirates squad, slightly depleted with the withdrawal of the champion rider's right-hand man Joao Almeida.
Irishman Ben Healy proved again that he is the Energiser bunny with a dogged performance to snatch the yellow jersey.
Former team leader of Jayco AlUla, Simon Yates – now right hand man for Vingegaard at Visma Lease a Bike – was too strong and rode to victory on stage 10.
But it was the current leader of the Aussie squad, Ben O'Connor, who got hearts pumping.
He showed that he is finally recovering from his injuries on his spectacular stage 1
crash.
Ben was strong in the breakaway all day and only faded slightly in the final kilometre to
finish fourth.
'It's been a roller coaster of a tour in many ways,' O'Connor said.
'Both physically and emotionally.
'But I'm feeling stronger as each day goes on and I'm looking forward to the bigger mountains coming up.'
Teammate Luke Plapp is also coming good and will be a chance to get into a breakaway over the next week.
'I've been struggling for a few days but I'm feeling good now and looking forward to the challenge,' Plapp said.
As good as the race for yellow has been, it's this Thursday and Friday that will show the strongest and expose the challengers.
Thursday's 180km stage to the summit of Hautacam is brutal and Vingegaard and his Visma Lease a Bike team must try every trick in the book to isolate Pogacar.
But Friday's individual time trial, although only 10km long, is a monster and virtually all uphill.
In the time trial, called the race of truth, there are no team tactics.
The legs do the talking and Pogacar seems to have the loudest voice at the moment.
It hasn't been a brilliant tour for the Aussies so far, but two third placings – Kaden Groves in a solid sprint on stage 3 and a wonderful ride by Michael Storer to take third spot on stage 6 – have been highlights.
As the race goes on Groves will get closer to the other sprinters.
Storer proved with his 10th overall at the Giro that he is capable of challenging in the mountains in the final week.
Harry Sweeny has been fantastic with EF Education-Easy Post.
His team now has the Maillot Jaune and Sweeny's going to be very busy in the next couple of days trying to keep that jersey on his teammate Healy's back.
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