Ben O'Connor's landmark performance in the 2021 Tour de France, where he finished in fourth place.

O'Connor is the team leader of AG2R Citroën, a team built to protect him on the flat roads, cobbles, and mountains of the first week of this year's Tour de France.

AG2R Citroën revealed that Bob Jungels will also be on the Tour de France team if he tests negative in the final COVID-19 test conducted late Wednesday. The Luxembourg rider did not attend the AG2R Citroën press event at the Grande Parle Permanente.

"If he tests positive, he will not start," team manager Vincent Lavene stated, despite the changes to the UCI COVID-19 protocol.

"We want to get a result tonight and have a replacement ready. We have bikes ready for different riders, we just need riders."

O'Connor seemed unfazed by Jungels' absence and the COVID-19 scare. The 26-year-old from Perth is wiser than his age and innately ambitious.

"I'm a year older and more confident. Last year was a leap year, but now I know exactly where I want to go as a rider," he explained.

"Not only am I performing better, but I'm also moving in the right direction mentally and taking on a leadership role. It's probably not for everyone as a person, but I'm enjoying it."

He added, "I've been able to be a leader in the community.

O'Connor will race another race if he doesn't get a taste of this challenge, but he has no intention of squandering a career-defining opportunity.

"If I don't enjoy it, I'll adjust and go for the mountain stages. Some days I'll pull the parachute and sit behind the peloton, and there are easier ways to race a bike," she explained.

"But I regret not reaching my full potential. You only have one career."

O'Connor recently finished third in the Criterium du Dauphiné behind the Jumbo-Visma duo of Primoš Roglic and Jonas Vingegaard. This performance and result was an important boost for the Tour de France.

"The Dauphiné was amazing. What did you take away from the Dauphiné?

"More or less, I realized that I am not far from the best riders in the world. Primoz and Jonas Vingegaard are two of the Tour's top contenders, but the fact that I was able to get behind them and be among the best of the rest means that I'm competing there."

"After three weeks safe and sound and after the Tour, I hope to be next to them or even better. I can only do my best and my goal is to have the best GC result possible."