Oscar Onley Saved by a Tree — Tour de France Still in Sight

Oscar Onley was saved by a tree in one of the season’s most-harrowing crashes.

There were real fears the Scot’s Tour de France was in jeopardy. Now there’s a flicker of hope.

Just days after plunging over a roadside barrier and into trees above a ravine, he’s already back with Netcompany-Ineos teammates at a pre-Tour training camp.

The 23-year-old dislocated a shoulder and suffered multiple wounds after a high-speed crash in stage 6 of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes last Friday.

“I think it was a left-hander, he just overshot slightly,” director of racing Geraint Thomas told Cyclingnews. “We’re staying positive. It could have been much worse.”

Team doctors will continue monitoring Onley’s condition before any decision is made on whether he can line up for the Grand Départ in Barcelona on July 4.

The Tour remains uncertain, but the good news for the UK team is that the conversation is about recovery and racing, not something far more serious.

Brailsford reveals how a tree prevented a far worse outcome

Onley crashed on the descent of the Côte d’Héry-sur-Ugine with less than 10km to go Friday and disappeared over a roadside barrier.

Television cameras missed the crash entirely. Team staffers spotted his bike on the road, but Onley was nowhere to be seen.

Onley finally rolled across the finish line, 29:17 behind stage winner Maxim van Gils.

The Scottish climber did not start the Saturday’s stage and has not spoken publicly about the crash, but his presence at the team’s pre-Tour camp is a good sign.

It wasn’t until the next morning that more details of the crash emerged.

Speaking to Wielerflits, team boss Dave Brailsford said Onley had gone over the barrier and ended up in trees above a steep ravine.

“Fortunately, Oscar landed in the crowns of a tree during his fall. As a result, he didn’t end up in a ravine dozens of meters deep,” Brailsford said.

“Our men from the team car, together with people from the organization, were able to very carefully hoist him back up from that tree. He was incredibly lucky. It could have ended much worse.”

Riders descending behind him knew immediately something had gone wrong.

Eventual race winner Isaac del Toro was overheard at the finish asking fellow riders if there was any news about Onley.

“The downhill was really tricky,” Matteo Jorgenson told Eurosport.
“I really hope Oscar is OK. I saw him go over the edge and that kind of spooked me a little bit.”

The fact Onley is already back with his teammates says plenty about how differently Friday’s crash could have ended.

Tour roster suddenly in flux for Netcompany-Ineos

Less than three weeks before the 2026 Tour de France, Netcompany-Ineos could have a few big holes to fill for its “Tour 8.”

Josh Tarling, who underwent surgery Saturday for a fractured left collarbone suffered in a separate crash the same day, is also a big question mark.

The final eight-man roster won’t be locked in until after the Tour de Suisse wraps up on June 21 and doctors can decide on Onley and Tarling.

Filippo Ganna, Carlos Rodríguez, Michał Kwiatkowski, Kévin Vauquelin, Dorian Godon and Thymen Arensman are all likely starters.

Even without Onley, Rodríguez, Vauquelin and Arensman — all former grand tour top-10 finishers — would still give the team plenty of climbing firepower.

But none would enter the Tour carrying the same momentum or hype as Onley after his breakthrough fourth place in 2025.

Reserve riders could be called up if either Onley or Tarling miss the start.

American Andrew August — who is enjoying a breakout season with his first two pro wins and is racing the Tour de Suisse this week — could be in line for a Tour debut.

Onley was looking strong in the French Alps last week.

He’s already back with the team, but whether he’s ready for the Tour remains to be seen.