Updated: Kelso cyclist Oscar Onley dreaming big after fourth-placed finish at Tour de France

The Borderer’s fourth place in general classification with a combined time of 76 hours 12 minutes and 44 seconds – 12 minutes and 12 seconds behind Slovenian winner Tadej Pogacar and only a minute and 12 seconds shy of a podium place – matches the top-five placing achieved by Glasgow’s Robert Millar, now known as Philippa York, in 1984.

It’s also the highest ranking managed by a Scot at a cycling grand tour since Millar, 66, finished as runner-up at 1987’s Giro d’Italia.

Though he hadn’t even been contemplating ending up so high up the leaderboard at the start of the tour in Lille back on Saturday, July 5, having only racked up two stage wins for Netherlands-based Team Picnic-PostNL to date – at Australia’s 2024 Tour Down Under and June’s Tour de Suisse – Onley is enjoying his first taste of that level of success so much that he’s now setting his sights on doing better still.

“It’s been a really special three weeks with the whole team,” said the 22-year-old.

“This is a huge moment in my career. I don’t think it’s fully sunk in yet, but just from what other guys in the bunch have said to me, I realise this is something to build on, a big step for the future. It’s definitely sparked a big dream.

“To be honest, I had never even considered finishing top five in the tour, so to do it in my first go at the GC, that’s pretty incredible.

“It gives me a lot of confidence for upcoming races as well as these are the top guys and in top shape in the biggest race, so if I can do it here, then why not in other races?

“There was no pressure from the team. They’ve handled that really well because I think as soon as you say you are going for GC, there’s a lot more attention on you.

“I’ve just taken every day as it’s come really and not made any extra stress as the tour is already stressful enough, just to ride and compete in.

“I’m really happy with how myself and the team have managed these three weeks.”

Looking back over the tour’s 132km final stage from Mantes-la-Ville to Paris – won by Belgium’s Wout van Aert in 3:07:30, 7:26 ahead of London-born Onley – the former Kelso High School pupil said: “It was a pretty crazy circuit but it was really nice.

“On the final climb of Montmartre, I was able to soak it all in and look around a bit, which was quite special, and then riding down the Champs-Elysees, that was amazing.”

Sunday’s finale followed stage 20’s 184km from Nantua to Pontarlier the day before and that saw Onley end up 44th, 7:04 behind Australian winner Kaden Groves.

Ahead of the 112th tour’s closing weekend, Onley finished fifth in Friday’s 93km stage 19 from Albertville to La Plagne, this year’s last mountain test, in 2:46:53, 47 seconds off the pace; fourth the day before in 5:05:45 going 172km from Vif to Courchevel Col de la Loze; and 31st in last Wednesday’s 160km from Bollene to Valence in 3:25:30.

Those two top-ten finishes were among eight overall, following placing sixth on Saturday, July 19, in a 183km ride from Pau to Luchon-Superbagneres; seventh the day before in an 11km individual time-trial from Loudenvielle to Peyragudes; fifth on Thursday, July 17, going 181km from Auch to Hautacam; third on Friday, July 11, after 197km from Saint-Malo to Guerledan; fourth in 174km stage four from Amiens to Rouen on Tursday, July 8; and sixth in stage two’s 209km from Lauwin-Planque to Boulogne-sur-Mer.

Onley is part of an eight-strong roster of riders also featuring fellow Scot Sean Flynn, Denmark’s Tobias Lund Andresen, France’s Warren Barguil, Czechia’s Pavel Bittner, Germany’s Niklas Markl and the Netherlands’ Frank van den Broek and Tim Naberman.

This year’s tour was Onley’s second after finishing 39th in general classification and as tenth young rider in 2024’s.

His two entries to date for the Tour de France are among three grand tour races the Borderer has taken part in since signing up with his current team in 2023, the other being an attempt at 2023’s Vuelta a Espana abandoned after breaking his collarbone in a crash.

This year’s tour win was Pogacar’s fourth, thanks to the 26-year-old’s total time of 76:00:32. Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard was runner-up, four minutes and 24 seconds behind him, and German Florian Lipowitz was third, trailing Pogacar by 11 minutes.

Next up for Onley is Spain’s one-day Clasica de San Sebastian this coming Saturday and he’ll be accompanied by Barguil, 33, and van den Broek, 24, again, along with France’s Romain Combaud, Australia’s Alex Edmondson, the Netherlands’ Enzo Leijnse and the USA’s Kevin Vermaerke.

Looking ahead to that 230km race, team coach Christian Guiberteau said: “We’re heading into San Sebastian Classic with Oscar as our finisher, coming off a very strong performance in the Tour de France. The goal is to build on that momentum.

“Warren and Frank also showed great form during the tour and they’ll be ready to anticipate moves and go on the attack if the situation calls for it.

“The rest of the team are fully committed to supporting Oscar and making sure he’s in the best possible position for the final.

“It’s a demanding race but we’re motivated and ready to make an impact.”