'Despite matching the skills of top cyclists globally, Oscar Onley fails to secure a place on the podium for the Tour de France, yet shows no signs of discontent'
Young Briton Oscar Onley Shines in the Tour de France
Oscar Onley, a 22-year-old cyclist from Scotland, has made a name for himself in the world of cycling, particularly in the prestigious Tour de France. In just two participations, Onley has shown significant progress and strong performances, marking him as a rising star in the sport.
Onley made his Tour de France debut in 2024, finishing 39th overall and 10th in the Young Rider Classification. His performance was marked by active participation in breakaways, notably finishing 5th on Stage 17 and competing strongly on the mountainous stages. Despite being distanced on the final climbs, his debut demonstrated his climbing ability and resilience in a Grand Tour.
In the 2025 Tour de France, Onley markedly improved his performance, finishing 4th overall, just 12 minutes behind the winner Tadej Pogačar. He was competitive throughout, especially on the mountain stages, and was praised for sticking with top contenders like Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard on the steep finishes. By the queen stage, he had closed the gap to third place to just 22 seconds, reflecting his potential as a general classification contender.
Onley's 4th place finish at only 22 years old, in just his second Tour, was described as a major milestone and "a really big moment" in his career. His performance also marked the best Tour de France finish by a Scottish rider since Robert Millar in 1984, who finished 4th as well.
Before these Tours, Onley turned professional in 2019 and secured his first individual professional victory in January 2024 during Stage 5 of the Tour Down Under. He has also been the highest-ranked British rider at the UCI Road World Championships in 2024.
Matt Winston, Onley's sports director, expressed satisfaction with Onley's performance in the Tour de France, stating that it should be considered superb. Winston looks forward to a promising future for Onley and predicts that Onley and Picnic PostNL will return to the Tour de France for another attempt.
Onley's performance in the Tour de France demonstrates his ability to climb consistently with the best cyclists in the world. Despite not getting ahead of himself, he was in a select group with Pogačar, Vingegaard, and Lipowitz until very late on the climb to La Plagne during the Tour de France. Unfortunately, he lost time to Florian Lipowitz in third place during the race.
Onley's career in the Tour de France includes two participations as of 2025, and his 4th place finish at the 2025 Tour de France is a standout achievement early in his career. With his maturity beyond his years and his consistent performances, Onley is undoubtedly a cyclist to watch in the coming years.
Sports have seen a shining light in the form of the young British cyclist, Oscar Onley. Witnessing significant progress and strong performances, particularly in the Tour de France, he is proving himself to be a rising star in the sport.
