The Scot rubbing shoulders with greats at Tour de France
Onley's rise to top
Those who follow cycling closely will know of Onley's steady progress since taking to the senior ranks in 2023 with his Dutch team, Picnic PostNL.But his journey started in the Scottish Borders, when local club Kelso Wheelers' time trial route passed right by his front door and he got involved.Onley juggled lots of sports as a kid, particularly cross-country running, before committing to the bike.He described himself as "never the best" as a youngster, but as he grew physically his results picked up.His big breakthrough came at the Tour Down Under in 2024 when he won on the finish up Willunga Hill for his first professional victory.The Scot then managed second at the Tour of Britain. Amid all that he had to deal with two broken collarbones due to crashes.This year he has bounced back, and last month climbed on to the podium at the Tour de Suisse, winning stage five in the process.Forged in the rolling hills of the south of Scotland, Onley is most at home when the road gradient makes the legs strain and is based in the high mountains of Andorra.With the big behemoth mountain ranges, the Alps and Pyrenees, still to come there is opportunity to make a bright start to the Tour de France truly memorable.
How far can Onley go?
Onley, a calm and unflustered character when interviewed, and his team say they have not changed the goal for the race. The main target is to win a stage, rather than go for a top-10 finish as an end in itself. Feet remain firmly on the ground, or rather the pedals.Competing over three weeks in the biggest race of them all is a different beast from the one-week races in which Onley has shown he can compete at the top of the general classification.Nevertheless, he has form in his legs and a fearlessness needed amidst the madness of the Tour.The long-term goal is to be a serious contender to win the Grand Tours, whether in France, Italy or Spain."That's the pinnacle, really," Onley said. "It's a plan we have as a team. "Just now, it's difficult to say how far I can take that, because I've never tried it before. That's the goal, though."In the short term, Onley will aim to keep making a name for himself on the biggest stage in cycling.
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