Onley Out, Team Impacted
British Rider Oscar Onley Withdraws From Tour de France Due to Crash Injuries
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Key Points
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Onley crashed on stage six of the Tour Auvergne‑Rhone-Alpes, plunging over a roadside barrier and into tree cover above a ravine; he finished the stage but did not start the next day, with medical updates describing a significant shoulder injury and a knee issue.
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Josh Tarling, a time-trial specialist for Ineos, also crashed on stage six and fractured his collarbone, further weakening the team’s Tour de France squad.
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Onley moved to Netcompany-Ineos from Picnic PostNL in the winter, part of a squad reshuffle that saw Ineos rebrand from Ineos Grenadiers on the eve of the Giro d’Italia.
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Last year’s fourth-place finish at the Tour de France equalled the best Scottish result, a feat previously achieved by Philippa York (then Robert Millar) in 1984.
Oscar Onley will not start the Tour de France after a crash at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes left him with a dislocated shoulder and knee damage. Reuters reports the 23-year-old British rider, who finished fourth at last year's race, is now in rehabilitation with nine days until the July 4 Grand Départ in Barcelona.
Netcompany-Ineos confirmed the withdrawal on June 25 after further medical tests revealed a "significant shoulder injury." Onley said he is "gutted not to be able to line up for the Tour de France this year" but added he is "really motivated to salvage something out of this season," Reuters reported.
A Crash Above a Ravine Ends Onley's Tour Hopes
On Stage 6 of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes on June 12, Onley plunged over a roadside barrier on a descent and landed in tree cover above a deep ravine. Witnesses said the trees prevented a far worse fall. Remarkably, Onley remounted and finished the stage — 29 minutes and 17 seconds behind the winner — but did not start the next day, according to Winnipeg Free Press.
After the crash, the team tried a last-minute rehabilitation push at an altitude training camp in the French Alps. It was not enough. On June 25, further tests confirmed the shoulder damage was too serious, and knee damage was also flagged. Sporting manager Geraint Thomas, now retired from racing, said the crash "could have been much worse" but called the situation "just unfortunate," according to the team's official communications.
Tarling's Collarbone Fracture Doubles the Damage
Onley was not the only Netcompany-Ineos rider hurt on Stage 6. Time-trial specialist Josh Tarling crashed earlier in the same stage and fractured his left collarbone. He underwent surgery and is also out of the Tour. Tarling's absence hits the team especially hard on Stage 1, a 19.6-kilometer team time trial in Barcelona where his raw power would have been a key asset, according to Mankato Free Press.
The double blow leaves Kévin Vauquelin as the team's main general classification hope. But Vauquelin also struggled during warm-up races after contracting a viral infection. Analysts have described the team's pre-Tour situation as a serious setback, with the squad now likely shifting focus from the overall standings to targeting individual stage wins.
Onley's Scottish Record and His Move to Ineos
Onley's fourth-place finish at the 2025 Tour de France, riding for Picnic PostNL, was a landmark result. It equaled the best-ever finish by a Scottish rider — a record set by Philippa York, then racing as Robert Millar, in 1984. That result made Onley one of British cycling's most prized young riders, according to Winnipeg Free Press.
He moved to Netcompany-Ineos over the winter as the cornerstone of their rebuilt squad. The team itself rebranded from Ineos Grenadiers on the eve of the 2026 Giro d'Italia, following a new partnership with Danish technology firm Netcompany. Onley was seen as the team's primary leader for the Tour's mountain stages, on a route with 54,450 meters of total climbing — a profile tailor-made for his skills.
Ineos Faces Pressure as Tour Starts July 4 in Barcelona
The Tour de France runs from July 4 in Barcelona to July 26 in Paris. Without Onley and Tarling, Netcompany-Ineos arrives at the start line well below full strength. The team had planned for Onley and Vauquelin to share GC leadership duties. That plan is now in tatters just over a week before the race begins, according to Houston Chronicle.
Onley said his focus now is on recovery. "My focus is now on recovering and getting my shoulder in a good place," he said, per Reuters. It remains unclear when he will be able to race again, but the team has said rehabilitation is already underway and he is targeting a return later in the season.
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