Paris Olympic Games 2024: West Australian cyclist Ben O’Connor to make Olympic debut after late call-up

West Australian Ben O’Connor will make his Olympic debut in the men’s road race on Saturday, replacing the injured Luke Plapp.

Plapp crashed in the men’s individual time-trial on Saturday and had abdominal surgery later that night.

He was set to race alongside Simon Clarke in a support role for Michael Matthews, but remains in hospital.

“Ben has performed strongly this season and is currently in top form,” Chef de Mission Anna Meares said.

“He is very motivated to join his teammates for the road race.

“His talent and versatility provides the team with options in different race scenarios which is highly valuable in a race that has fewer athletes per nation and doesn’t permit the use of race radios by the athletes.”

O’Connor, 28, was fourth at this year’s Giro d’Italia, which followed a second in the Tour of the Alps and UAE Tour. The season began with a win at the one-day Vuelta a Murcia.

He also has won stages of the Tour de France (2021) and Giro d’Italia (2020).

O’Connor had been preparing for the Vuelta a España when he was pulled into the team for the 273km event and will be fresh, having not ridden in this year’s Tour de France.

The men’s and women’s road races start and finish in the shadows of the Eiffel Tower. The circuit features 2800 metres of climbing and 13 ascents.

Australia’s gold medal winning time-trial cyclist Grace Brown rushed to Plapp’s hospital bedside just hours after her Paris triumph.

Plapp had made a strong start to the race, having set the fourth-fastest time at the 13.1km mark, but failed to finish after crashing at the next checkpoint in the technical middle section and was forced to abandon the race.