Scots cyclist 'honoured' to be up there with Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard

The Kelso cyclist has just battled the world’s best at the Tour de France and achieved the highest finish by a Scot since the mid-Eighties.

Onley, 22, went wheel to wheel with the likes of Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard across 21 brutal stages and finished in fourth place in the general classification. In doing so he matched the achievement of compatriot Philippa York (then known as Robert Millar) in 1984.

This is just Onley’s second Tour de France but when he completed the race in Paris on Sunday he was only 12 minutes and 12 seconds behind Slovenia's Pogačar, the UAE Team Emirates-XRG cyclist winning for the fourth time.

“I'm just enjoying what I'm doing and to be able to be up there with Pogačar and Vingegaard is an honour,” Onley said mid-race as he vied for a stage win alongside the sport’s two giants.

He was to be denied this year but the Team Picnic PostNL rider can point to a third-place finish in stage seven as a breakthrough moment and there were also a couple of fourth and fifth-place finishes along the way. But it was the way he came through the mountain stages that marked him out as a real contender.

“I guess this is a really big moment in my career. I don't really realise it yet but I think just from talking to other riders in the bunch, going forward, we have something to build on and an exciting project for the future,” Onley told CyclingWeekly. “It's definitely sparked a bit of a dream I guess.”

Born in London, Onley moved to the Scottish Borders as a child and attended Kelso High School. He joined local club Kelso Wheelers but also showed an aptitude for cross-country running before committing to cycling. It has proved a wise choice. He is now team leader for Picnic PostNL and his future looks dazzlingly bright.

“We never really had the plan to go for GC [general classification] in the beginning,” Onley told ITV after the race. “It was more just see how it goes. To be honest, I've never even thought about a top five in the Tour before, so to get it in my first try in GC is quite incredible and I'm excited for the future.

“It gives me a lot of confidence for the 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.”

With Pogačar first and two-time winner Vingegaard second, Onley was denied a place on the podium in Paris by German Florian Lipowitz who finished third overall, one minute 12 seconds ahead of the Scot. Onley finished second in the Tour’s Best Young Rider category, behind Lipowtiz.