If Pogacar wants his help, he’d better ride a steady pace: Onley capitalizes on a classic Almeida climb

“I knew I was in good shape, and I've been feeling good all week,” Onley said after the race. The climber finished third on day 3, second the next day, and as if it were meant to be, victory followed on Friday. “Almeida has been very strong this week, so it was no guarantee that we would ride for the win in the group of favorites. Because the strongest teams weren't chasing the breakaway, I decided to do it myself on the final climb.”

Onley created a man-to-man situation, leaving the breakaway group with no chance and looking like he was riding to victory alone. Almeida seemed to be losing ground, but as often happens, the Portuguese found his second breath, and it came down to a sprint between them. “He is one of the best climbers in the world and has shown this week that he is a level above anyone. But today, he struggled a bit, although we know he always rides his own pace,” said Onley.

According to Onley, his lead on the steepest sections allowed him to recover towards the sprint when he knew that Almeida was returning. “I thought he had him when he passed me at 50 meters, but I'm glad I won. I don't win often, but I've had quite a few podium places this year, where I was close. Winning now is great for me and the team. It's nice to repay my teammates because they do a great job every day.”

Thanks to his stage victory, Onley moved up four places in the GC to fourth. He is 1.21 minutes behind the new leader, Kévin Vauquelin (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), and Almeida is 42 seconds ahead of him. Can Onley win the Tour de Suisse? “I haven't looked at the standings yet; I don't even know where I am exactly,” he said candidly. “I lost a lot of time on the first day, but Warren Barguil and the staff continued to support me and emphasized how tough this race is.”

Things are now falling into place, with one more sprint opportunity, an uphill finish, and a final climbing time trial ahead. “This victory will make such a big difference when Sunday is over. It's hard to keep believing, but I'm giving it my all, day after day. Saturday's finish should suit Julian Alaphilippe and Vauquelin better, but we're going for it.” Or, as he said in an intimate chat with mentor Barguil: “This makes all the work in Tenerife worthwhile.”

Then there's Almeida, who moved up in the GC despite missing out on the stage win. After his solo victory on Wednesday and the new time gain alongside Onley, he is only 39 seconds behind the yellow jersey. “After today, there is certainly a lot more possible than yesterday,” he said after the race, referring to Romain Grégoire's time loss and improved position in the GC.

According to the Portuguese rider, there was no acting when Almeida seemed to drop back. We have seen him riding at the back of a group many times and sometimes hanging on by a thread, but he often returned at his own pace. If Tadej Pogacar wants his help in the Tour de France, he will have to ride at a steady pace and not be too explosive. That was evident again on Thursday. “I didn't feel great, I wasn't 100%.” However, Almeida did not panic when Onley rode away.

However, Almeida did not panic when Onley pulled away. “I did my best given the circumstances; I couldn’t go any faster than that. Ultimately, I was even close to winning the stage, but Oscar deserved it. I made a mistake in the sprint because I started on my small chainring. It was too late to catch up when he passed me at 20 meters. It is what it is; we’ll keep fighting for the overall victory.”