(Photo credit: REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier)
Ben O'Connor conquered the Col de la Loze to win Stage 18 of the Tour de France on Thursday in the French Alps.
The mountainous 171.5-kilometer trek from Vif marked the second career stage win and first since 2021 for the 29-year-old Australian.
Three-time and defending champion Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia finished second and retained the yellow jersey, stretching his overall lead to 4:26 ahead of rival Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark. Germany's Florian Lipowitz remains in third, more than 11 minutes off Pogacar's pace.
Pogacar was 1:45 behind O'Connor on Thursday, while Vingegaard was another nine seconds behind in third place.
Stage 19 on Friday is a 129.9-kilometer ride through the mountains from Albertville to La Plagne. The 21-stage competition concludes in Paris on Sunday.
--Field Level Media
