In his seven years in the pro peloton, there have not been many stage races that Ben O'Connor has not competed in, but this year the AG2R Citroën rider will make his racing and European season debut in the Tirreno Adriatico from March 6 to 12.

O'Connor started the season in his home country, competing in the Australian Road Championship, Tour Down Under, and Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race through January before returning to Europe.

After a slight delay in the start of the next race block due to illness, he returned to the field after a little over a month without a number at Tirreno-Adriatico.

"As in any race, the goal is to be efficient and do your best, and March is an important month for me and the team," said O'Connor, who is aiming to compete in the Tour de France again this year.

O'Connor was scheduled to compete in the Von Ardèche and Drome Classics last week, but missed the races due to the flu. But the rider, who finished fourth in the 2021 Tour de France, believes the terrain suits him.

"I'm very happy to discover a new event," he said. 'I've always liked racing in Italy. The route is difficult and suits my rider profile."

Tirreno-Adriatico will start on Monday, March 6 with an 11.5km individual time trial. Thursday's stage 4 will be a 219 km stage with three laps and a finish at the top of Tortoleto.

Then it's on to the queen stage with an uphill finish on the Sarnano Sassotet. The sixth stage will be a short climb, but the Costa del Borgo wall awaits, with a gradient of 15% in the middle 1km. The race concludes with a final stage for the sprinters in San Benedetto del Tronto.

The race's signature trifecta trophy will be won in 2022 by Tadej Pogachar (UAE Team Emirates), with Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo Visma) in second and Mikel Landa (Bahrain Victorious) retired Richie Porte ( Ineos Grenadiers), who finished in third place. This year, Pogachar and Vingegaard will compete in Paris-Nice, while Landa will return to racing in Italy.

O'Connor may be making his first attempt at this event, but he will be running with his experienced AG2R Citroen teammates. Racing alongside O'Connor will be Greg Van Avermaat, who will be competing for the 12th time and won the overall at the 2016 Tirreno Adriatico. The team also includes Benoit Kosnefrois, Michael Scheer, Nance Peter, Andrea Vendrame, and Felix Gall.