Col de la Loze a turning point in Oscar Onley's career: "Before and during the Tour, I really doubted myself"

Oscar Onley is a tremendous climber and was known to be a very promising talent, but only at the Tour de France did the cycling world learn just how high the Scottish rider could aim for. This year's fourth place at the Tour came close to the final podium and rode a perfect race in what is one of the hardest Tours in recent memory - in what was his first time contesting for the overall classification in a three-week race.

"I knew a climb like Mûr-de-Bretagne would suit me, and even on Mont Ventoux, if that's the only climb of the day, I can release my power," Onley shared with RIDE Magazine. "But the stage to the Col de la Loze was a real turning point for me. I felt there: it's not going to get much tougher than this. With that kind of competition. And I was in."

Onley finished third at the Tour de Suisse where he also beat João Almeida in one of the summit finishes, however at the Tour he continued progressing not only in hi performances but also consistency. By the time the riders reached the third week it was obvious that Team Picnic PostNL's leader was already a rider who could be termed a Grand Tour specialist. But stage 18 to Col de la Loze was his big step, as the race blew up fully on the Col de la Madeleine with a long-range attack from Jonas Vingegaard, but the rider hadn't even reached the base of the hardest climb of the day.

With over an hour in duration, the Col de la Loze was the hardest challenge of this year's race, not only because of its distance and gradients but also altitude. Onley was third out of the GC men, close to Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard, and way above the rest of the competition - including Florian Lipowitz who risked with an attack before the climb.

"It confirmed for me that I could compete on the toughest day of the Tour de France, because before and during the Tour, I really doubted myself," he admits. "A few weeks after the Tour, I was training and started thinking about it. I realized I'm completely satisfied with this Tour de France".

Onley is demanding on himself and what he reached at the Tour confirmed the potential he had been showingg: "Normally, I'm quite critical of myself. I'm not happy afterward, even if I've achieved a good result. That keeps me motivated. But when I look back on this Tour, I know: there's nothing more I could have done."

"I may not have won a stage, but given how the Tour went, it was highly unlikely I could have won a stage". That can very well happen in the coming years however, taking into consideration is climbing ability. "It would have been difficult to get away, especially from the favorites group."

"But the result does show what level I can reach. I was the fourth-best climber and the fourth-best GC rider in the Tour. I can honestly say that. That also gives me a lot of motivation for the future."

However as a modern stage-racer, he doesn't quite cut it fully yet, as he lacks the time trialing ability. Although Grand Tours now have the least ITT kilometers in the sport's long history, the strongest in the discipline are simultaneously the strongest overall classification contenders. Onley was 23rd at the Tour's time trial, but over 33 kilometers, he lost over 2 minutes to a Remco Evenepoel that in his best form would've contested Onley's position.

"I can definitely improve. I already knew beforehand that the time trial is a weak point for me. I'm 60 kilograms and not the most powerful rider, but Vingegaard weighs about the same and he's a good time trialist," he compares. "I can still improve in that area, and that gives me a lot of motivation".