Tour Down Under: Ben O'Connor third in final stage and sixth overall

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"Really motivated to achieve a good result"

"I was really motivated to achieve a good result on this last stage. The route was a good match for my qualities. The team did a great job in trying to make the tempo harder. On my side, I felt that I had good legs. I'm happy to have been able to respond on the last climb but I'm still disappointed that I didn't manage to win the stage against Simon Yates and Jay Vine. But I want to keep the positive side: it was a great week to go back to school. Everyone in the team was up to the task. We will have another chance together to win the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race next Sunday." – Ben O'Connor

With his third place on stage 5 and sixth overall at the Tour Down Under, Ben O'Connor already has four top 10 finishes so far this season. The Australian finished seventh in his national championship on January 8 before finishing ninth in the third stage of the Tour Down Under last Friday.

Thanks to Ben O'Connor's sixth place, AG2R CITROËN equals its best result on the Tour Down Under since 2015, achieved at that time by Domenico Pozzovivo.