Ben O’Connor: Vuelta Return & Tour de France Disappointment

Here’s a breakdown of the key information from the provided text, focusing on Ben O’Connor’s outlook on the Vuelta a España:

Current State of the Race: The first week of the Vuelta has been relatively “cagey” with limited all-out attacks for the General Classification (GC).
Upcoming Key Stage: O’Connor believes Stage 11 in Bilbao will be a turning point, predicting “chaos will start to reign” and significant GC battles will begin. He compares the stage to an Ardennes Classics due to its challenging climbing profile (over 3,000m of vertical gain and seven classified ascents).
Bilbao Stage Details: The final climbs before the descent into Bilbao – Alto del Vivero and Alto del Pike – are notably punchy and were featured in the 2023 Tour de France opening stage. O’Connor’s Feelings About Bilbao: While not ideal for him, he anticipates hard racing on this stage.
Relief After the Tour de France: O’Connor is happy to have a more “straightforward” race after a very tough and constantly combative Tour de France, which he describes as having “sucked.”
Positive Team Change: He’s pleased with his move to Jayco-AlUla, finding it easier to adapt to a team culture aligned with his own. He describes it as a smooth transition.
* Overall Leader: jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) is the current overall leader.

In essence, O’Connor is looking forward to Stage 11 as the moment the Vuelta will truly ignite, and he’s relieved to be racing in a more manageable environment after a grueling Tour de France. He’s also settling in well with his new team.