The Scot Rubbing Shoulders With Greats At Tour De France

Oscar Onley group himself nan lofty ambition of winning a shape astatine conscionable his 2nd Tour de France.

Only 5 stages successful to nan three-week epic, and nan 22-year-old Scot has travel sixth and fourth, rubbing shoulders pinch not conscionable nan world's champion cyclists but immoderate of nan top ever to race.

"Some of my team-mates and unit opportunity to maine you are 1 of these guys," Onley told ITV earlier shape four. "I don't really spot it for illustration that yet."

By nan extremity of nan 174km tally into Rouen connected Tuesday, he had travel successful conscionable down defending Tour king Tadej Pogacar, erstwhile world champion Mathieu van der Poel, and two-time yellowish jersey victor Jonas Vingegaard.

To beryllium progressive successful specified institution was a magnificent achievement, peculiarly fixed nan toughness of nan racing crossed lumpy terrain.

The truth it followed a akin capacity connected shape 2 connected nan ramp up to nan statement successful Boulogne-sur-Mer made it moreover much impressive.

While location has been nary triumph yet, Onley has competed pinch nan champion successful an unexpected way.

"It's beautiful cool - it doesn't get overmuch bigger successful position of races and competitors," Onley said. "It's bully to beryllium to myself I tin beryllium location correct astatine nan top."

Those who travel cycling intimately will cognize of Onley's dependable advancement since taking to nan elder ranks successful 2023 pinch his Dutch team, Picnic PostNL.

But his travel started successful nan Scottish Borders, erstwhile section nine Kelso Wheelers' clip proceedings way passed correct by his beforehand doorway and he sewage involved.

Onley juggled tons of sports arsenic a kid, peculiarly cross-country running, earlier committing to nan bike.

He described himself arsenic "never nan best" arsenic a youngster, but arsenic he grew physically his results picked up.

His large breakthrough came astatine nan Tour Down Under successful 2024 erstwhile he won connected nan decorativeness up Willunga Hill for his first master victory.

The Scot past managed 2nd astatine nan Tour of Britain.

Amid each that he had to woody pinch 2 surgery collarbones owed to crashes.

This twelvemonth he has bounced back, and past period climbed connected to the podium astatine nan Tour de Suisse, winning shape 5 successful nan process.

Forged successful nan rolling hills of nan southbound of Scotland, Onley is astir astatine location erstwhile nan roadworthy gradient makes nan legs strain and is based successful nan precocious mountains of Andorra.

With nan large behemoth upland ranges, nan Alps and Pyrenees, still to travel location is opportunity to make a agleam commencement to nan Tour de France genuinely memorable.

Onley, a calm and unflustered characteristic erstwhile interviewed, and his squad opportunity they person not changed nan extremity for nan race.

The main target is to triumph a stage, alternatively than spell for a top-10 decorativeness arsenic an extremity successful itself. Feet stay firmly connected nan ground, aliases alternatively nan pedals.

Competing complete 3 weeks successful nan biggest title of them each is simply a different beast from nan one-week races successful which Onley has shown he tin compete astatine nan apical of nan wide classification.

Nevertheless, he has shape successful his legs and a fearlessness needed amidst nan madness of nan Tour.

The semipermanent extremity is to beryllium a superior contender to triumph nan Grand Tours, whether successful France, Italy aliases Spain.

"That's nan pinnacle, really," Onley said. "It's a scheme we person arsenic a team.

"Just now, it's difficult to opportunity really acold I tin return that, because I've ne'er tried it before. That's nan goal, though."

In nan short term, Onley will purpose to support making a sanction for himself connected nan biggest shape successful cycling.