The British Cycling team headed to the men's elite road race in Zurich full of hope and ambitions. Sadly however, things didn't quite go to plan, with
Oscar Onley finishing best placed of the British contingent, crossing the line in 16th.
"If you look at the team, it's really strong, but not one guy that can follow
Tadej Pogacar," Onley explained afterwards in conversation with
Cycling Weekly. "We were all given a free role, and try and anticipate, as everyone says. We did that in the best way we could, first with Stevie, and then with myself. In the end, it's down to the legs."
Finishing 3:52 down on the rampant Pogacar, Onley kept himself in the mix for a while, before fading out of podium contention towards the finale. "It was brutal," the Scot explains. "I said before the race that I wanted to finish empty, having given it everything, and I definitely did that. I'm quite happy with how I rode. I put myself in the best position, I think, and then ultimately it is down the legs, and I have to accept that's my level. It's really fun to be racing in the [GB] jersey, and to be with the boys all weekend, it was really nice."
Onley certainly gave his all whilst riding with Ben Healy and Toms Skujins, momentarily closing the gap to Pogacar. "I was on the limit," he says of that part of the race. "I said before the race to someone that Toms and Ben would be good for this kind of circuit, they're so strong. When I was with them, I was happy that I could get towed along a bit, but I also knew that I was in for a hard ride. The steep climb the last time, I was pushing but I couldn't feel my legs. It was a weird sensation, cos it's not something I've had before actually. I was pushing and going nowhere."
As a result, a top-10 finish ultimately slipped away. "I did what I could on the day," he concludes contentedly.
