The Dimension Data soigneur jumped for joy and punched the air as Ben O`Connor took his solo victory at the Tour of the Alps in Merano. The 22-year-old Australia rider joined them in celebration as he realised he had pulled off a breakthrough victory and given the African team something to celebrate after a series of injuries to key riders. O`Connor was Dimension Data`s protected rider for the Tour of the Alps as team leader Louis Meintjes quietly completes his build-up for the Giro d`Italia. O`Connor finished eighth on Tuesday`s mountain finish to Alpe di Pampeago, only losing contact in the final kilometre when Chris Froome attacked. He had shown his potential with 11th place overall at the Volta a Catalunya and arrived at the Tour of the Alps after a long spell at altitude. When the Tour of the Alps peloton exploded on the gradual but constant slopes of the Passo dello Mendola, O`Connor decided he wanted to be part of the action.ADVERTISEMENT Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ), Domenico Pozzovivo (Bahrain-Merida) and O`Connor emerged as the strongest at the summit of the successive Passo Palade. They were caught after a hectic chase led by Chris Froome, but O´Connor had the legs and the tactical instinct to go again, time trialling clear in the streets of Merano to win alone, five seconds ahead of Pinot and a select group of eight other riders. `The attacks started going, but I felt good and so made sure I took on the race and was able to make most of it all. I saw Pinot go, I knew he was strong and so thought I might as well try to win it. That`s the essence of it,` O`Connor explained, a little stunned to win, but enjoying his moment on the podium and suddenly being the centre of the attention. `Today is pretty amazing,` he said. `I started to get things together at Catalunya, and we could see the progression taking place. Now it`s nice to take on the race see it work out here. I didn`t really know what I was doing in the early races of my career, now I do.` ...
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