Decathlon AG2R confirm Ben O’Connor ‘not part of long list’ for Tour de France

Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale management have confirmed that there is no current plan for Ben O’Connor to race the Tour de France this year after he finished an impressive fourth overall at the Giro d’Italia, with lead sports director Julian Jurdie saying the Australian was “not on the long list right now” for July.

Speaking in February, O’Connor made it clear that the Giro d’Italia would be his top Grand Tour priority this year. Despite some illness in he third week, he finished fourth overall in Rome, while Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale also won two mountain stage wins with Valentin Paret-Peintre and Andrea Vendrame and the teams classification.