Imagine achieving a historic fourth-place finish in the Tour de France, a feat that puts you in the same league as Scottish cycling legend Philippa York. That's exactly where Oscar Onley finds himself, but he's not settling for past glory. He's got his sights set on the podium, and he believes it's within reach "in the next couple of years." But here's where it gets controversial... can Onley truly bridge the gap to cycling titans like Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar?
The 23-year-old Onley, despite his impressive performance last summer, remains grounded. He acknowledges the significant distance between himself and the top contenders. His fourth-place finish equaled Robert Millar's (now Philippa York) 1984 achievement, marking the best result ever for a Scottish cyclist in the prestigious race. In a recent in-depth interview on BBC Radio Scotland's Saturday Show, Onley discussed his breakthrough season, the ever-present issue of performance-enhancing drugs in cycling, the exciting possibility of the Tour de France starting in Edinburgh in 2027, and the realities of living a globe-trotting professional sporting life from his base in Andorra.
Since joining the Netherlands-based team, Team DSM-Firmenich PostNL, in 2023 (formerly Team Picnic–PostNL), Onley's progress has been remarkably consistent. His first individual professional victory came in January 2024 with a thrilling uphill finish on stage five of the Tour Down Under, where he ultimately secured fourth place overall. And this is the part most people miss... Initially, Onley approached the Tour de France aiming for stage wins, strategically conserving energy on certain days, fully aware that a top-five overall finish wasn't his primary objective at the time.
All that changed last year. Onley explained, "It really feels like it came quite quickly in the last few months before the Tour. Everything started to click into place, and so I was starting to gain a lot more confidence in myself as well." His initial focus on stage wins gradually shifted as a podium finish became a tangible possibility.
Ultimately, Onley finished just over a minute behind Germany's Florian Lipowitz, who claimed third place. Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard finished second, a significant eight minutes ahead, while Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar dominated, finishing a full 12 minutes ahead of Onley.
"I still feel very far away," Onley admitted, looking ahead to the upcoming season. "To the front two, there is a big gap from the rest of us, but I definitely feel that, in the next couple of years, a podium finish is definitely possible if things go the right way for me. And there's also two other Grand Tours in Italy and Spain where sometimes the competition's slightly less deep. If it goes the right way, then why can't I try to win one of those?" This ambition highlights Onley's belief in his potential and his willingness to target other major races where the field might be less competitive.
The prospect of the Tour de France Grand Depart in Edinburgh in 2027 clearly fuels Onley's dreams. "It is something I'm really looking forward to," he enthused. "I think the UK and Scotland really put on a good show whenever big events come to the country, such as the Commonwealth Games or the road world cycling championships in Glasgow a couple of years ago. I have not been able to experience something like this in Scotland yet, but I really hope I can be there next year on the start line in Edinburgh and take everything in and to see friends and family there will be quite special." The Grand Depart in his home country would undoubtedly be a career highlight.
The topic of performance-enhancing drugs remains a sensitive one in cycling, brought to the forefront by the Lance Armstrong scandal in 2012. While fewer cases have emerged in recent years, the issue persists. Onley addressed the concern, stating, "I can't speak for other sports, but I know how much we get tested and how much I personally get tested as well throughout the year and throughout the tour."
Onley expressed his "a lot of trust" in the existing systems designed to ensure a level playing field and maintain the integrity of the sport. "I believe the sport's come a long way in the past 10-15 years," Onley said. "I also don't believe it's completely clean." Bold statement, isn't it? He continued, "I think it's quite naive to think it's clean throughout the whole world, but I think it's in a better place than it was before I started cycling. It's not much I think about. I can only compete with who I am up against. I am not riding along thinking, 'this guy might be getting an advantage over me'. It's not really the thought process I or many other riders have. You have just got to focus on yourself and trust that everyone else is playing by the rule book. With the guidelines we have, I think it is very hard to cheat nowadays." His perspective reflects a focus on personal performance and a belief in the deterrent effect of current regulations.
Currently preparing for the new season in Andorra, nestled in the mountains between France and Spain, Onley finds the location ideal for training and camaraderie. "There is a big culture of professional cyclists up there and I have a lot of friends who live close by and we can always go out training together or do other things," he explained. "It's quite peaceful and it's a nice place to come back to in between races."
Among his fellow cyclists, recently retired Welsh Commonwealth Games gold medallist and 2018 Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas stands out as an inspiration. "The way he can focus on a certain goal every year he's been professional," he said. "In the last few years racing beside him has been quite inspiring."
Despite his international lifestyle, Onley, who grew up in Kelso, admits to missing a particular brand of fruit squash from Scotland. And while his favorite bike ride remains the scenic route along the Lammermuir Hills between Kelso and Edinburgh, perhaps this upcoming year will be the year when the champagne of victory flows freely for Oscar Onley.
Having achieved such a high place in the Tour de France, is it reasonable to expect Oscar Onley to reach the podium in the next few years? Does cycling do enough to prevent the use of performance-enhancing drugs? Let us know your thoughts!
