A 5 Day Pre-Season Training Camp with Ben O’Connor

How did Ben O'Connor train in the lead up to his 2022 Volta Catalunya stage win? And why do so many professional cyclists train in Alicante during winter?
I spent a week living and training with Ag2R-Citroen professional cyclist, Ben O'Connor, before the 2022 season kicked off. Six weeks after this episode was filmed, Ben went on to win stage 3 of Volta Catalunya and wore the leaders jersey for a day, proving that the way we trained was probably just about right - and that things are looking exciting for the season to come.
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This video was filmed in Calpe, Denia, Xabia, Valencia and Alicante, Spain; a cycling mecca that is used for training by numerous professional cyclists and cycling teams. Riders including Ben O'Connor, Jack Haig, Esteban Chaves, Egan Bernal, Geraint Thomas, Chris Froome, Wout Poels, Sergio Higuita, Jai Hindley, Richard Carapaz, Remco Evenepoel, Tadej Pogacar and others use the area for training in winter. Riders train on the climbs here for races such as the Tour de France, Volta Catalunya, Vuelta Espana, Paris-Nice, Giro d'Italia and more. Teams such as INEOS-Grenadiers, Israel-Premier Tech Pro Cycling, Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team, UAE Team Emirates, Ag2R-Citroen and others use Valencia for team training camps and rider testing.

[@Baggellyh]

as someone whos been watching cycling vids for the last 2 years, this video and your other vids in general are some of the most professional yet laidback videos with Ben. Keep up the seriously good work Tristan!

[@tristantakevideo]

Thanks so much Charlie..that’s a huge compliment 🙏🏼

[@Richz2]

Super video as always Tristan. Also huge congratulations to Ben on his spectacular Volta a Catalunya win. Whenever Ben attacks nobody can go with him. It was superb to watch. I even had a cheeky each way at 40/1 Thanks Ben!

[@tristantakevideo]

Cheers Richard! 🙏🏼🙌🏼

[@MarkCRyan]

Love the Ben videos. Getting insight into their training and how different it is from mere mortals. Keep up the great work T!

[@tristantakevideo]

Thanks so much Mark!

[@antoniocasablancasvilanova2207]

unique video Tristan!!! What a treat to have this insight view of Ben's training. He looks and sounds so down to earth... his performance in la Volta was awesome!!! More to come I am sure. Thank you!!!

[@tristantakevideo]

Thanks Antonio! I knew you’d be watching! Let’s hope his Volta was a sign of things to come.. 🙏🏼

[@marcemery2626]

Best yet, great Q&A with Ben and rooting for him to podium at TDF. Chapeau mate!!

[@tristantakevideo]

Thanks so much Marc. 🙌🏼

[@connorvogan1831]

Just spent a week staying in Parcent with a group doing a training camp. Gorgeous area! Cool to see a lot of the same roads we rode on, missing it already! Coll de Rates is a legendary climb.

[@tristantakevideo]

Yeah, it’s epic for riding down there..Coll de Rates is awesome. Both sides. 👌🏼

[@dalaigholoingsigh507]

This is top notch content Tristan! Thank you very much for sharing this for free. Ben seems like a very lovely person and I am happy for you to have a friend in him.

[@tristantakevideo]

Thank you 🙏🏼 He’s a top bloke and a great mate.

[@forfunonly009]

I've been waiting for this video to drop since that day he won the stage.

[@johanvillon6257]

I really enjoy those videos with Ben, he’s so down to earth. I’m glad we have him on the team. Losing Romain Bardet was not easy but we clearly were fortunate by taking in Ben. I hope he could one day double the Tour with the Giro or the Vuelta. Cheers.

[@mick6ful]

Wow fantastic video as always Tristan. Fantastic insight into your adventures and training. Massive shout out to Ben for the insights and a huge congratulations for his early season W . Cant wait for more videos Thank you

[@tristantakevideo]

Thanks Mick 🙏🏼 So glad you enjoyed it

[@LouieMcFly23]

Here to comment after Benny finishes 3rd on GC in the Dauphine 💪🏼

[@fabianwylie8707]

Oh wow , fabulous cycling adventure 🚴‍♀️🚴‍♀️🚴‍♀️💪💪

[@leroy_who]

This was brilliant. Makes me want to ride my bike. Cheers.

[@marvinsmall5002]

Enjoyed that one. Yet again you have brightened up my day. 😀

[@tristantakevideo]

Thanks man! Stoked to hear it!

[@scugno]

Keep the videos coming they're so good.

[@tristantakevideo]

Thanks mate. Plenty more to come!

[@scugno]

@@tristantakevideo Mate, if you do your numbers @138Lbs +368W you are flying right now bro. Your numbers are close to Ben's when you add the weight difference. I am super stocked for you bro.😤

[@donball370]

What a marvellous start to 2022. All the very best to Ben for the season. As for you my man, keep livin' the dream Tristan

[@tristantakevideo]

Thanks Don! 🤜🏼🤛🏼

[@DonJon99]

I love these type of videos Tristan, congrats to Ben too for his first win of the season!

[@tristantakevideo]

Thanks mate!

[@mikemcgraw1062]

What a great video. Love seeing these off mainstream media blogs of riders where the real person shines through. Ben’s TT position is on point. I could put a cup of coffee on his back and it wouldn’t fall off! Nice work Tristan!

[@tristantakevideo]

Cheers Mike! Yeah his position is pretty dialed in these days. Let’s see how it goes come race day.

[@linus2444]

Awsome Video… so interesting to see those insights

[@tristantakevideo]

Thanks man 🙏🏼

[@wadejacobson5126]

Another fantastic piece of work,Tristan. Thank you!

[@tristantakevideo]

Thanks Wade!

[@mattbordignon3588]

Killer content mate! Thanks

[@tristantakevideo]

Thanks Matt 🤜🏼🤛🏼

[@xymek24]

Love it...just love it...what w views 😍. You have done justice to this fantastic place !

[@tristantakevideo]

Thanks legend. Good to see you down there! 🙏🏼

[@maniastrat]

Another excellent vid! Thanks!! I was so excited watching Volta with Ben leading....yelling at my monitor..>GO BEN GO hahah excellent result Ben!

[@tristantakevideo]

Haha you and me both. Thanks mate!

[@Greg.Sutton]

Hooked from that opening sequence with the music after the GCN footage.

[@wendysuperfan1014]

Thanks Tristan and Ben!!

[@montanajones8393]

Hell man...you make this look so easy but I know its not. A real joy to watch & good luck to Ben for the year ahead. He's off to a flying start & I'm sure more to come.

[@tristantakevideo]

Thanks man 🤜🏼🤛🏼 Fingers crossed for more good things to come for Ben.

[@moserbua]

always so nice to have BEN on your side - love this videos !

[@tristantakevideo]

🙌🏼

[@alangoh76]

Love it! Although at 10:28, Ben’s chain needs lubrication

[@tristantakevideo]

I got some lube at the end of that ride 🤙🏼

[@shaunpratt5521]

That was awesome to watch. Always love the vlogs you do with Ben. Great insight into his training

[@tristantakevideo]

Thanks so much Shaun. 🙌🏼

[@lesliereissner4711]

Very enjoyable video, nicely produced. It is interesting to see what the pros do to get ready for the season. After watching this, I am pretty sure that I would like to stay with Ben and Sarah too!😀

[@zbchen1104]

That time machine is crazy

[@carlosroy7984]

Lovely video Tristan!😉

[@tristantakevideo]

Thanks Carlos 🙏🏼

[@tomrachellesfirstdance7843]

What a brilliant video great insider view Ben is cool for letting you share and I must admit I was cheering him on too. I am enjoying everything you put out.

[@tristantakevideo]

Thank you 🙏🏼 And thanks for always supporting!

[@dannywirjawan4804]

Cheers from Perth, WA... keep the good work lads 🤓👍

[@tristantakevideo]

Thanks mate!

[@derekcravenPT]

Maaate! I am so loving your vids, keep them coming. Good fortune to Ben for his coming races.

[@tristantakevideo]

Cheers my dude! Big things to come for Ben, 100%

[@marcroca2706]

Awesome as always!! THANK YOU FOR THE VIDEOS. Solid training

[@tristantakevideo]

Thanks for watching Marc! 🙌🏼

[@frankkottwitz6279]

Love the cinematography as well the training with pro rider great insight!

[@tristantakevideo]

Thanks Frank! 🙌🏼

[@jansandau2794]

Nice Video, love the content.

[@michaelhoile1369]

Great video..Ben is top character...love the laid back content..real Oz feel. Will be subscribing..

[@tristantakevideo]

Thanks man, stoked you enjoy it 🙏🏼 Ben is a top fella!

[@callanrobison2674]

So good! Gotta add that to my list of places to visit in Europe.

[@henri-5606]

Such a great video, you invest so much work to make these, the result is just superb👍👍👍

[@tristantakevideo]

Thanks Henri. It takes a serious amount of work so I’m stoked people are loving them so much. 🙏🏼

[@benfolds17]

Just subscribed tonight! Enjoying all your videos mate! Great stuff...i should already be asleep so i can get up for my morning ride ha! Im a huge Jumbo Visma fan, most especially Sepp Kuss🇺🇸...but also cheer for Ben as he seems like a top bloke and i love his riding style. Keep up the great content, loving your channel🤙

[@tristantakevideo]

Thanks Ben! Will have to get Sepp on for an episode. Any questions for him? Ben definitely is a top bloke. 👌🏼More content to come 🙌🏼

[@benfolds17]

@@tristantakevideo thanks for the reply! Yeah i was hoping to maybe see Sepp on your channel as he also lives in Andorra. It would be fun if you did a recap of his Stage 15 TDF win (similar with what you do with Ben). Its so fun to hear how they were feeling in those moments most of us will never get to enjoy. Plus just realizing how humble & "normal" the guys are is refreshing. Like Sepp i grew up in Western Colorado USA so i immediately felt a bit of a connection...so three questions maybe. 1~Now living and mostly riding/working in Europe how does he stay connected with his American friends/riding clubs? 2~How much different is it training in areas like Andorra, Spain versus the much higher altitude of Colorado? 3~(Just funny one per his Strava id) How many In N Out burgers can he eat at one setting? 🤣 Also one question for Ben...im curious i noticed he is almost always in his AG2R Citroen kit...is that by choice or does the team have some rules on what he can wear when he trains. Ive always been curious how that works. Thanks again for the reply...your channel is awesome mate and im happy i discovered it. Keep up the fun and informative videos!👊👍🤙

[@mattrobinson716]

Loved this video mate.Always great to catch up with Ben too.450W efforts 😀 I can dream 😂

[@tristantakevideo]

Haha thanks Matt. You and me both 😅

[@antoinebouchard1173]

Loved the effort put into the intro, keep it up bud 😊

[@tristantakevideo]

Thanks my friend 🙏🏼

[@thecapabledad5573]

Great vid

[@RiseNShine681]

Damn that avocado toast looked BOMB! Congrats to Ben on the win!

[@tristantakevideo]

Thanks man! It was so so well done. Went back the next few days and couldn’t get a seat 😩

[@brentbackhouse]

Hey Tristan, really enjoying the videos. Keen to find out more about what Ben eats before, during and after training. Does he match the foods to the types of sessions he’s doing etc? Cheers.

[@jeremiestephenson5826]

great video Tristan!

[@tristantakevideo]

Cheers Jeremie!

[@troycollett8540]

Another great video

[@tristantakevideo]

Cheers Troy!

[@troycollett8540]

@@tristantakevideo Ben is a really cool guy.pity you couldn’t catch up with jay vine before he moved to Andorra

[@starshamanalex5008]

you do a good job for BMC, make sure they give you some proper kits and a tt bike with Discs so you can descend without fear, you represent their brand well, i'm more likely to get a BMC off this than the pro peloton guys

[@bikenbeers]

Love these video’s with Ben and you and the no BS insights. Where are all the cars?? Just wondering if you could do a video of how Pro’s (Ben) warm up before rides. I usually get on my bike and go but if there is a short routine I could do it would be helpful (Activation i think you called it)

[@SecretLuckyValentine]

Great video Tristan. Wondering if you could shed some light on how you do recovery, considering you clock up a ton of mileage. What post ride stretches do you do? Cheers

[@tristantakevideo]

Thanks Dylan. I actually don’t do any stretching post-ride. My recovery generally involves having a protein shake and a big sit down..haha. Ben does a bit of core and general movement pre-ride, especially on TT days, but nothing afterwards.

[@lucasvallejogonzalez3776]

Big boss O’Connor ✌️

[@user-qd3bk8lm5k]

Great video sir , what month of last year was this for me to look at the routes on Ben’s strava ? Thank you

[@tristantakevideo]

Thanks man. This was Feb 2022, but Ben has also recently come back from December training camp where he did a bunch of routes starting from a similar location 👌🏼

[@user-qd3bk8lm5k]

Perfect thanks so much , keep the great videos coming 👌🏼

[@digamondvonn]

Epic!

[@nationsnumber1chump]

his back is horizontal! How is this UCI legal?!

[@starshamanalex5008]

I want a BMC now, just sharp, I could care less about the new cannondale or sworks

[@robredpath6659]

Hey mate do you mind sharing where you stayed here? Looking to get there in July! Thanks

[@manse3986]

Whats Ben using for route making ? Notice hes using a Wahoo Elemnt Bolt (which i do) and was wondering what he used for mapping generation on it. Thanks

[@tristantakevideo]

He uses the Strava route creator and also knows the area quite well after years of team training camps down there.

[@anthonycasey57]

What size do you wear in that Sweet Protection, I ordered one after watching the vlog.

[@tristantakevideo]

I’m in a size small 👌🏼

[@reflectionsdetail]

I understand you hung out of EF last week?

[@tristantakevideo]

That wasn’t me..last week I was in Mallorca

[@mtbxc5571]

Dude 7:45 is early for u? And it that dark in asia 7:45 we late for school or work 45minute already

[@tristantakevideo]

Yeah man, 7:45 is very early here. Nobody goes to work until 8:30-9, most shops don’t open until 10 and most people aren’t riding before 9:30.

[@breathestrongcycling3672]

Now we know why you got a BMC....so you keep up! 😉😆

[@tristantakevideo]

Haha it does help..😏

[@leedenton870]

You must be his talisman Tristan

[@tonykarabatsas1762]

Tristan, love your videos. A pleasure to see Aussies smashing it in Europe. Congrats to Ben and yourself. Hope to see many more wins for Ben.

[@tristantakevideo]

Thanks so much Lee and Tony..🙏🏼 Fingers crossed for more results similar!

[@keirankelly1390]

🤙👌💥

[@Kermitonwheels]

Oh it’s all a bit good eh.

[@nickyhillz]

wow ben's position on the TT bike is LOWWWW

[@starshamanalex5008]

trust me, all cyclists want your lifestyle, im over america and family life here, blah, its the matrix, congrats on following your dreams and succeding