How long will the fairytale of Tour de France sensation Onley last? "It certainly won’t come from within the peloton"
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Follow us on GoogleWith each passing day of the Tour de France, Oscar Onley seems to get better. The 22-year-old Brit from Picnic PostNL had already finished boldly among the very best on days 2 and 4, and on day 7 at Mûr de Bretagne he raised the bar even higher. Behind winner Tadej Pogacar and his usual rival Jonas Vingegaard, Onley finished third, leaving him with mixed feelings.
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For a moment, it looked like Pogacar, Vingegaard, and Remco Evenepoel would be the strongest three, but the group behind managed to reel them back in on the final climb, setting up another explosive sprint. Onley had already proven this Tour that he can hold his own in these punchy finishes against the best riders in the world, and Mûr de Bretagne was no exception. Third place marked his best result so far in this race. A reminder: this is his debut Tour de France.
“I didn’t think much on that last climb, but if you have the legs, it’s easier to make decisions,” he told English-speaking media afterwards. Onley stayed calm when the leading three riders attacked from the bottom and seemed to create a decisive gap. “I think everyone in that second group was at their limit, even though the front three eased up just a bit.” That allowed Onley and the others to catch back up.
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Onley realizes how good he is, but it doesn’t help him much yet
The young climber was all smiles after days 2 and 4, happy with his strong finishes among the world’s best. But after Mûr de Bretagne, Onley added a note of caution about his current role in these punchy finishes. “On finishes like this, I seem to be ‘best of the rest’ behind Pogacar and Vingegaard, and that’s nice. But the gap to those two stays the same, so I don’t know if I’ll really get close to a stage win in this Tour.”
Because Onley came to this Tour aiming for a stage victory, and he suspects that won’t happen if he keeps finishing with the favorites. “What can I do in the high mountains? Good question, honestly, I don’t know. The longest climbs I’ve done were in the Tour de Suisse, and based on that, I can have some ambitions, but it certainly won’t come from within the peloton.”
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Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
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Latest Comments
- - I’m still learning how cyclocross works: when he says he messed up the start at the Europeans, can a bad start really make that much difference?patriciaw14-11-2026
- - Love that he’s honest about the pressure. Hopefully he can carry this form through the winter.lindae14-11-2026
- - Beating different competition is the key now. Nys is already in the mix, and Van der Poel could make the next step a much tougher one.jennifer1914-11-2026
- - About time—Mason’s been knocking on the door for years. That Niel win could really open things up for him.cadencekingm14-11-2026
- I’m still learning how cyclocross works—does leading the Superprestige mean Mason is top of that race series, rather than the World Cup? Either way, winning in Belgium sounds like a massive result.cadencekingm13-11-2026
- Calling Onley a contender for an overall Tour win already feels a bit premature, especially after the injury setbacks. Still, the depth of talent is exciting.robert6513-11-2026
- Great to see Dickson’s route from triathlon to the WorldTour getting recognition. Scottish cycling has plenty to be proud of, and the 2027 Grand Départ could give the next generation a real lift.patriciaw13-11-2026
- The article makes a good case for clubs and small teams doing the groundwork, rather than one big development pipeline. Thornley’s Vuelta time trials were seriously impressive too; missing a stage win by two seconds is brutal.davidm13-11-2026
- Mason winning in Niel is huge—beating that kind of Belgian field in the mud takes serious class. The Kelvingrove World Cup could be an unforgettable homecoming.breakawaybikerd13-11-2026
- I’m not sure how WorldTour licences work—could these reports affect whether the team gets one next year, or is that decision based on other criteria?velodromevirtuoso113-11-2026
