Kelso’s Oscar Onley named as Scottish Cycling’s male rider of year

That accolade was awarded to the Kelso 22-year-old at a prize-giving ceremony at Falkirk’s Inchyra Grange Hotel on Saturday, edging out Paris 2024 Olympic medallist Jack Carlin and Paralympic champion Fin Graham.

Though he wasn’t able to make it along, Onley sent a message telling of his happiness at landing that honour, saying: “I’m honoured to win this award, especially against the tough competition of Fin Graham and Jack Carlin, as well as those who didn’t even get selected.

“It shows the place that Scottish cycling is in right now and it means a lot to win this.”

Saturday’s award follows Onley, a member of Netherlands-based Team DSM-Firmenich PostNL since 2020, becoming the first Scottish-developed cyclist to start the Tour de France for 31 years in July, finished 39th overall in general classification and as tenth young rider.

He then went on, with fellow Borderer Callum Thornley, to win one of Scotland’s first Tour of Britain jerseys since 1990 in September as the competition returned to his home region with its opening stage at Kelso.

Onley was runner-up to Aberystwyth’s Stephen Williams in the general classification standings, Scotland’s best performance in the tour since the second place claimed by Glasgow’s Philippa York, alias Robert Millar, 34 years prior.

The former Kelso Wheelers member was also second in general classification, to Belgium’s Lennert Van Eetvelt, at last month’s Tour of Guangxi in China, his first-ever International Cycling Union World Tour podium placing, an achievement he was also chuffed to bits about, saying: “I was happy to come away with my first world tour podium, and it gives me a lot of motivation for the coming season.”

Onley was one of two Borderers among the winners on Saturday, the other one being Trevor Bryant, team manager for Tweedbank-based cycle speedway club the Border Raiders.

Bryant was named as community coach of the year and he too was delighted at that recognition, saying: “I have been coaching in the Borders for 12 years, working mainly with junior riders, covering basic cycling skills, mountain-biking, trail-riding and introducing cycle speedway racing.

“After ten years of taking my fleet of cycle speedway bikes to pop-up grass-track events across the central Borders, I felt it was time to create a progression pathway for the sport and set up a cycle speedway club that could enter riders into the Scottish league series and the Border Raiders were formed at the start of 2023.

“None of the young riders had any experience of this fun sport, ridden on freewheel bikes with no gears or brakes, but by the end of the season, after hours of sessions on the back pitches at Tweedbank Sports Centre, they took home the 2023 junior Scottish league trophy and a number of podiums from individual championships and they managed to retain that title for another year this year.

“In September, the club took a squad of riders to the inaugural Scottish Cycling National Cycle Speedway Championships and took home under-12 and under-14 girls’ titles, the under-14 boys’ title and the senior women’s title. Two months later, they were all alongside me at the Scottish Cycling awards helping me celebrate winning the community coach of the year accolade, upon receiving which I explained to the audience that I only won that honour because of the wonderful communities that I have the privilege to work with, those of the Borders.”

Other winners on the evening included double Paralympic gold medallist Jenny Holl, the Stirling 25-year-old being named as female rider of the year.

Skirling-raised Graham’s C1-3 road-race gold medal win at the Paris Paralympics in September was voted moment of the year in a public poll, claiming a 51% share of the vote.