"It’s nice to come away with a Top 10" - Oscar Onley returns strongly from third collarbone fracture at Tour de Suisse

After a nightmare spell of injuries, Oscar Onley returned to racing at the 2024 Tour de Suisse hoping to put the worst behind him. Ending the prestigious, week long stage race in 8th overall, it was a very positive performance from the young Brit.

“I’m happy to finish this week with another consistent performance," reflected the 21-year-old in his post-stage 8 interview with the official website of Team DSM-Firmenich PostNL, having placed 11th in the final stage individual time-trial, keeping his 8th place in the general classification as a result. "It’s nice to come away with a Top 10 in the GC for the work the boys and all the staff have put in during the week."

Having suffered his third collarbone break in just eight months at the Amstel Gold Race in April, Onley was just glad to back riding in the peloton and doing what he loves again in Switzerland. The fact that he managed such a creditable performance is without a doubt a big bonus for the talented 21-year-old prospect however. "It’s been another long period without racing, so I hope to make a step up after this race towards the next goals,” he concludes.

As of the time of writing, there are no confirmed races on the calendar for Onley for the rest of the year. As such it is not known when or where those aforementioned "next goals" lie. A Tour de France debut isn't completely out of the question after this Tour de Suisse performance. A return to the Vuelta a Espana maybe, after Onley was disastrously forced to abandon his Grand Tour debut in 2023 after just one stage? Only time will tell, but the signs are positive.

Speaking pre-Tour de Suisse, Onley detailed the mental struggles that came with the physical pain of three broken collarbones in eight months. “To be honest, I just switched off from cycling for a bit at that time. I tried to keep away from my phone and do some other things. I bought some Lego and was trying to keep my mind busy," he recalled. "I think if you sit on the sofa all day and just think of what you should be doing, or what others are doing, then it can become overwhelming almost. So, I was just trying to keep myself busy and switch off from cycling for a little bit.”