In-form Onley joins top table at the Tour

Twenty-two-year-old is Britain's best GC hope, reports Tom Davidson in France

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When Tadej Pogačar singles out your performances at the Tour de France, you know you're doing something right. In Mûr-de-Bretagne last week, the world champion turned in his winner's press conference to commend Oscar Onley, the young Scot who is forcing his way onto the sport's top table.

“Oscar has shown what a super rider he is, with a punchy kick,” Pogačar said. “He’s riding super well.”

Moments before, Onley had finished narrowly behind the two men who have shared the last five Tour titles: Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard. The result was no anomaly either - on previous days, the Picnic PostNL rider placed fourth and sixth, each time dicing with the peloton’s biggest names. He entered the first rest day as Britain’s highest-placed rider, seventh overall, and is delivering on his promise of being a future star.

“I think it just shows that I've come here in good shape,” Onley told Cycling Weekly. “I really get a kick out of racing against the top guys, so it’s always good fun.”