THE UNASSUMING KING OF SCOTLAND

Despite taking fourth place at the Tour de France, Oscar Onley remains an understated character. Chris Marshall-Bell profiles the man quietly carrying Scotland's GC hopes

- 

Oscar Onley, Britain's new GC darling, recently revealed that he no longer has a bike at his family home in Scotland. Whenever he's back in Kelso, where he grew up, the 23-year-old is there to “really, really relax” and take a break from cycling. But that doesn't mean he can get away with not paying subs at his local club. If he bumps into anyone from Kelso Wheelers, he'd better make sure he's got his excuses ready - or a few banknotes in his wallet.

“Oscar's mum Sharon is our club secretary, and she usually pays his club membership,” Kelso Wheelers chairman Robert Ure tells CW. “I'd need to have a look, but I don't think he's paid his membership for this year. I'm going to have to send him an arrears letter unless he pays his 20 quid,” Ure laughs, joking that the outstanding debt could follow Onley around long after he's hung up his professional racing wheels. “If he comes down once he's finished and retired and still hasn't paid his membership, there'll be serious words with him! We will have to backdate the payments.”

All of which is said in the best possible spirit, of course. Regardless of Onley's technical membership status, his childhood cycling club - and the whole of the Scottish Borders - are immensely proud of him. This year, in just his second appearance at the Tour de France, he finished fourth, 72 seconds shy of a spot on the podium.

As a result, Onley was one of the most in-demand riders in July, winning a legion of new supporters after keeping pace for long stretches with runaway leader Tadej Pogačar and his arch-rival Jonas Vingegaard. ‘Onley Fans’ - a brilliant pun on the adults-only website OnlyFans - became a favoured placard slogan during the Tour, while the hashtag #OnleyFans went viral on social media.