After being forced to stay home during the Tour de France thanks to a shoulder injury back in July, GC hope Oscar Onley (Netcompany-Ineos) is making the most of being let off the leash at the Vuelta a España.
He rode himself into the young rider’s white jersey on yesterday’s stage to Andorra La Vella, finishing in a creditable fourth place behind winner Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and at the same time as second and third-placed finishers Jarno Widar (Lotto Intermarché) and Felix Gall (Decathlon CMA CGM).
The ride left him sitting fifth on GC, just 24 seconds off Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe) in second place, and 3:45 behind race leader Pogačar, who looks as though he will be difficult to topple over the coming two-and-a-half weeks.
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Onley’s white jersey grab was perhaps all the more impressive given he had apparently been ill with a stomach issue that had kept him up throughout the previous night.
“Before the stage, I half expected to lose my overall classification standing entirely, so it was nice to be able to compete in the group behind Tadej,” said Onley after the stage.
“I actually got sick late last night and spent the whole night in the bathroom,” he said. “I’m relieved. I actually felt pretty OK. I surprised myself a little. Luckily, I was able to eat this morning and had a normal meal last night too, so I don’t think it’s such a big deal.”
The Scot said he had circled stage four, a 104.8km outing that started and finished in Andorra La Vella, as an important one for the GC, adding: “With the descent and the short climbs, I actually expected it to turn out this way, with a small group crossing the finish line.”
Asked about his plans to retain the white jersey, the 23-year-old called it “a great goal”.
“So far, so good,” he said. “The white jersey matches the shorts, which is always nice. It’s a great goal. Given my ambitions, I hope the white jersey will be a nice bonus. Jarno Widar is, of course, very strong. That final sprint he had… The upcoming stages will be pretty tough, so it’s certainly not over yet.”
With today’s fifth stage to Roquetes Terre d l’Ebre likely to favour the sprinters, Thursday’s stage six looks like the next GC appointment, with the riders cresting the cat-one Castello de la Plana climb 20km before the finish.
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