Ben O'Connor showed signs of recovery in the Tour de France stage five time trial, finishing a respectable 21st, 1'47" behind winner Remco Evenepoel.

Despite not being a time trial specialist, and after a crash on the first stage, the Australian Jayco AlUla rider limited the damage well, losing less than 30 seconds to top riders like Jonas Vingegaard and Primož Roglič. This performance allowed him to move up 12 places in the overall standings, up to 17th.

It was also a positive day for teammate Luke Plapp, who finished ninth after being the fastest in the first part of the course.

"I seem to have come out of these first few days a little better," O'Connor commented after the time trial. "Here you can manage your effort; it's different from yesterday's chaos when you got caught up in the crashes. It was an important test of confidence."

The first four days were tough for the Australian: "The first stage went well, the wind didn't bother me, but I was unlucky and got involved in the crash. The last few days were tough on the explosive finishes; it wasn't fun to race, it was dangerous for everyone."

A stage winner at the 2021 Tour and with two career top-four finishes in Grand Tours, O'Connor is optimistic about the mountain stages: "I'll be happier when we get to Clermont Ferrand and the Pyrenees. When you win here, everything changes; it's more important than winning anywhere else. I've already won a stage at the Tour, but I wouldn't mind experiencing that joy again."