Thu Jul 24 15:00:00 UTC 2025: **O’Connor Conquers Stage 18 of Tour de France, Vingegaard and Pogacar Battle for Seconds**
Courchevel, France – Australian cyclist Ben O’Connor (Jayco AlUla) soloed to a stunning victory on Stage 18 of the Tour de France, finishing the grueling mountain stage in dominant fashion. The stage, classified as highly difficult, concluded in Courchevel under a light rain, chilly 10°C temperatures, and a light fog shrouding the mountain station.
Behind O’Connor, the battle for the General Classification heated up between Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard. Pogacar finished 1 minute and 45 seconds behind O’Connor, while Vingegaard crossed the line just nine seconds later, putting 1:54 between the two.
The stage saw a fierce attack from Vingegaard with approximately 2 kilometers remaining. Only Pogacar and Oscar Onley could initially match his pace, leaving Primoz Roglic and Felix Gall struggling. Adam Yates stuck to Pogacar, who struggled to stick with Vingegaard and Onley.
Earlier in the stage, Florian Lipowitz, initially leading the chase, was caught by the Pogacar-Vingegaard group. Other notable riders such as Simon Yates and Matteo Jorgenson were dropped from the leading group as the pace intensified.
Ben O’Connor’s impressive ride earned him the “Most Combative Rider” award. He had a lead of 1’50” with 5km before the finish line on Einer Rubio while the Yellow Jersey group was over 3 minutes behind.
O’Connor, sitting 12th overall at 31’08” behind the yellow jersey, has now achieved stage wins in all three Grand Tours. His palmares include a stage win in the Giro d’Italia 2020, a stage win in the Tour de France 2021, and a stage win in the Vuelta a Espana 2024.
First Piper 