Ben O'Connor, the newest racer whose pain has been misunderstood - CyclingTips
There are 70 kilometers left of the Tour’s first major mountain stage. A TV camera was attached to Ben O’Connor, who pedaled gently beside the team car, clearly feeling the effects of the bad luck he had endured since the Tour de France began. He was offered a bidon and some food, but O’Connor focused on communicating something about his hips by shaking his head a lot and shoulders drooping. He looked like a rider about to leave him, but moments later, we were back in Australia, still on his bike as he gestured angrily to ditch the TV motto. He went on to finish the stage focusing on transferring to his teammates, and just 24 hours later, O’Connor’s Tour de France ended. Professional cyclists are a rare breed – that’s what we believe, and rightly so. These men and women experience excruciating and persistent pain, through road rashes, dislocated shoulders and even occasionally (not recommended) fractures. On the Tour de France so far we’ve watched several emotional stories unfold,