‘Switched on and ready to take a chance’ – Ben O’Connor heads to 2026 Giro d’Italia on upward swing with aim to be ‘thereabouts’ in battle for overall podium

Consistency and taking chances are not two concepts that may seem like a natural pairing, but ahead of this year’s Giro d’Italia they were exactly the key words Ben O’Connor (Jayco-AlUla) was focusing on.

After all, when it comes to Grand Tour’s it’s taking those chances that helped push him up the ranks on the general classification standings and then his consistency afterward that helped him stay near the top, right from the 2021 Tour de France fourth place to second overall at the Vuelta a España in 2024. The question now is whether that is a formula that could take him back to the GC podium of a Grand Tour again at this year’s Giro d’Italia?