‘I was a bit broken’ – Ben O’Connor finally cedes Vuelta a España lead

It’s taken 13 days, but Ben O’Connor finally had to bow to the inevitable on Friday, and after a tenacious fight to retain the Vuelta a España lead, the Australian cracked on the Alto de Moncalvillo. 

O’Connor’s exit from the Vuelta’s top spot had long been expected, with some TV commentators already writing off his reign in red as soon as stage 9 through the Sierra Nevada.