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Follow us on GoogleBen O'Connor is aiming for a good result in the Giro d'Italia in 2026, Jayco AlUla announced to the world on Monday morning. In a press release, the now 30-year-old Australian said he hopes to finish on the podium in May, something he has never achieved in his career.
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O'Connor has finished in the top ten of a Grand Tour three times in his career, but his best result in the Giro was fourth place. In 2024, he also aimed for a podium place for the then-Deceuninck-Quick-Step team. But he just missed out. For the 2026 Giro, the ambitions are very high: Ben is eager to return stronger and more mature and compete for the overall victory.
A bold ambition, knowing that Jonas Vingegaard has already confirmed his participation in the Giro on behalf of Visma | Lease a Bike. The Dane will be looking for his third and final Grand Tour victory in his Giro debut, having already won the Tour de France twice and added the Vuelta a España to his list of achievements in 2025.
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Jonas Vingegaard after Vuelta victory in 2025 now wants to win Giro in 2026
O'Connor wants to compete for podium at Giro d'Italia
In the past, Jayco AlUla has never shied away from big ambitions. With Simon Yates, it was almost always clear that the team wanted to compete for the overall victory, and with O'Connor, that chance is also considered achievable. “Maybe it’s just the Italian allure, or maybe because it was the Grand Tour I always believed I’d perform well at.”
“The 2024 Giro and the fourth place overall was a good result, but no one likes finishing off the podium. I’d love to change that in the future and can’t wait to be back there this year,” said O'Connor, who started his season in the Tour Down Under, where he finished tenth in the general classification. He also finished fourth in the time trial at the national championships in Australia.
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Why does Ben O'Connor think he can compete for victory in the Giro?
O'Connor's best result dates back to the Vuelta a España in 2024. Thanks to an early stage victory from the breakaway, the climber ended up in the red leader's jersey and defended it well into the third week. In the end, only Primoz Roglic was able to pass O'Connor in the general classification.
In 2025, the year O'Connor switched from Decathlon to Jayco AlUla, everything was set for the Tour de France. However, O'Connor crashed in the opening weekend and had to chase the peloton. In the third week, he won the mountain stage with a finish on the Col de la Loze in impressive fashion. However, he just fell short of a top ten finish in the general classification.
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O'Connor faces more big names in the Giro alongside Vingegaard
In 2021, O'Connor finished fourth in the Tour, in much the same way as his second place in the 2024 Vuelta. By winning a stage from a breakaway group, he gained minutes in the general classification before settling into the rankings. In the Giro, he will ideally do it the traditional way: battling it out with the GC contenders.
Why does O'Connor think he can compete for the Giro win? Well, the route that has been presented should suit him well. “The 2026 Giro d’Italia features a 40km individual time trial and a massive 49,150 metres of climbing: the perfect combination for the Team Jayco AlUla climber,” writes his team. He himself says: “Having that long crescendo into the final week of big mountains is something that’s always suited my style.”
In addition to Vingegaard, several other GC contenders have already confirmed their participation. On behalf of UAE Emirates-XRG, João Almeida will participate, Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe will go for Jai Hindley and Giulio Pellizzari, INEOS Grenadiers will, almost traditionally, go with Thymen Arensman as their leader, and as an outsider and potential breakthrough, we are also adding Max Poole of Picnic PostNL to the list.
Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
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Latest Comments
- Eight riders told to go for stages, and nobody gets one—hard to know what the plan was there. It’ll be interesting to see whether they pick a clear leader next time.bikebuffj10-11-2026
- Was Bernal’s 20th place really their best GC result? I thought he might have finished higher. Either way, it sounds like a rough Tour for the whole team.gearguru3310-11-2026
- Five days in breaks with no stage win is a painful stat. The team had chances, but they need to turn those opportunities into results.julien10-11-2026
- The Onley Vuelta example makes sense: a team with someone to rally around often looks much more cohesive. Hopefully INEOS can build on that rather than expecting a quick return to the Sky years.cadencekingm10-11-2026
- Thomas is right about the ambiguity. Eight riders all chasing stages can end up pulling in different directions, even if nobody’s deliberately working against anyone. They need a clearer plan once the GC leaders are out.robert6510-11-2026
- What a mess. The report makes it sound as though nobody properly explained the decision, and that’s hard to defend.jennifer1910-11-2026
- I’m still learning the rules: does moving left in a sprint automatically bring a penalty, or does it depend on whether the other rider is blocked? It sounds like Brand wasn’t impeded here.patriciaw10-11-2026
- A final decision still needs a proper explanation. If the federation’s complaint goes nowhere, I hope the officials at least review how they handled the riders afterwards.michael5410-11-2026
- Fair play to Lucinda for saying Marie had won fair and square. That kind of sportsmanship matters, especially after such a controversial decision.raceready710-11-2026
- Schreiber beat Brand on the road, so the jury needed to explain clearly why that slight deviation warranted relegation. Being cut off before she could give her account sounds appalling.lindae10-11-2026