Australian rider Ben O’Connor claimed his second Tour de France stage victory, crossing the finish line first on Stage 18 in Courchevel. The Jayco AlUla rider’s dominant performance saw him take a 3-minute 26-second lead over Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard in the general classification standings.
Meanwhile, Scottish rider Oscar Onley made significant gains in his pursuit of the podium but fell short by just 22 seconds. O’Connor credited his team for their support, saying he was “pretty active” throughout the stage and felt better than expected. He also praised his teammate Felix Gall, who won the stage two years ago.
The stage saw a thrilling battle between Pogacar and Vingegaard, but ultimately ended with O’Connor taking the top spot. The Slovenian rider claimed second place, while Rubio took third.
Oscar Onley’s podium chase was cut short by his exhaustion, and he seemed to struggle in interviews. However, he expressed gratitude towards his team for their backing throughout the race. Onley is now fourth in the general classification standings, just 11 minutes behind leader Tadej Pogacar.
The stage also saw a strong performance from Ben Healy of EF Education – EasyPost, who finished 10th overall but holds a significant lead over the rest of the peloton.
Tadej Pogacar maintains his four-minute lead in the general classification standings and will face intense pressure for the final stage on Sunday.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2025/jul/24/cycling-tour-de-france-2025-stage-18-vif-courchevel-col-de-la-loze-live