HIBERNIAN FIRE, CALEDONIAN STEEL

The British Isles have two new Tour stars, Ireland's Ben Healy and Scotland's Oscar Onley. Can their contrasting talents take them all the way, asks Adam Becket

- Adam Becket

Oscar Onley may have become a high-profile figure within the Tour de France bubble – regularly near the front on climbs, making headlines, and even inspiring witty “Onley Fans” roadside signs – but the 22-year-old from Kelso, Scotland, still hasn’t gained the wider recognition of a cycling celebrity or national hero.

When Cycling Weekly mentioned Onley to a Scottish fan in Montpellier on the eve of stage 16, there wasn’t so much as a flicker of recognition. Back in his hometown of Kelso, reports suggest it’s equally low-key – no bunting, banners or Oscar-themed celebrations in sight. That quiet reception likely suits Onley just fine: he’s an introverted, grounded character who seems more focused on riding than revelry.

Celebrations might be obligatory, though, now that he has finished fourth at the race, becoming the new big hope of British cycling at the Tour. He has done something at 22 that only a select group of British riders has ever done, finishing in the top-five of the biggest race – he is only the seventh to do so.

“[His] doing so well at the biggest race in the world is probably not sinking in for us yet,” said Sean Flynn, Onley’s Picnic PostNL teammate, ahead of stage 17 last week. “We're not getting too stressed about it. It’s just not really familiar to us, what we're doing. The fact it’s on the biggest stage is really cool, but we will only realise how big a thing it is afterwards.”

The next generation

It’s been a while since Britain had a serious GC contender at the Tour. Bradley Wiggins retired almost a decade ago, and fellow Tour champions Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas are set to exit pro cycling at the end of this year. The Yates twins are 32, and while Simon won the Giro d'Italia this year, he is unlikely to be the nominated GC rider at the Tour again. Tom Pidcock has only shown flashes of his GC ability. Onley, then, emerges as Britain’s number-one hope for Tour glory.