Netcompany-Ineos’ Oscar Onley ruled out of Tour de France with shoulder injury

British rider Oscar Onley has been ruled out of this summer’s Tour de France with a shoulder injury, in another blow after a difficult season thus far.

The Scot crashed out of the Tour Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes – the prestigious one-week stage race formerly known as the Criterium du Dauphine – two weeks ago.

He plunged over a roadside barrier and narrowly missed falling into a steep ravine, crashing into tree cover above the drop on stage six of the race. The 23-year-old finished the stage but opted not to start the following day, with his team Netcompany-Ineos announcing he had dislocated his shoulder and suffered a knee injury.

His chances of riding this summer’s Tour de France, which begins on 4 July, initially appeared high nonetheless. But a team statement released on Thursday announced that medical investigations after his crash confirmed ”a significant shoulder injury”.

It continued: “Unfortunately, this means Oscar will be unable to compete in this year’s Tour de France.

“He has already begun rehabilitation and is making encouraging progress. We wish Oscar a full and speedy recovery.”

Onley’s withdrawal from the Tour is a further blow to Ineos’ planned squad for the race, which was already weakened by the likely loss of time-triallist Josh Tarling, who also crashed on stage six of the Tour Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes and fractured his collarbone.

Onley said: “I’m gutted not to be able to line up for the Tour de France this year. My focus is now on recovering and getting my shoulder in a good place, but I’m really motivated to try and make something out of this season.

“I am looking forward to watching the boys racing in France in the coming weeks, especially knowing how hard everyone has worked.”

Kelso-born Onley moved to British squad Netcompany-Ineos – who rebranded from Ineos Grenadiers on the eve of the Giro d’Italia – over the winter after a breakout season with Picnic PostNL.

Last year he finished fourth at the Tour de France and second in the young riders’ classification, going toe-to-toe with champion Tadej Pogacar and runner-up and two-time winner Jonas Vingegaard on some of the race’s most difficult mountain stages.

He finished a minute and 12 seconds off the podium, with Florian Lipowitz – winner of the young riders’ standings – edging him out of third place.

Onley also finished third overall at the Tour de Suisse, a key warm-up race for the Tour de France, last year, and was signed by Netcompany-Ineos as a home-grown Grand Tour contender.

But he has been unable to replicate those results in his first year with the squad, with illness disrupting the first half to his season. He finished fourth overall at the Volta ao Algarve, his season opener, but abandoned Paris-Nice with illness and then withdrew from the Tour de Romandie on stage one after suffering from a stomach bug.

He said after withdrawing from Romandie: “Been a tough start to the season to be honest and hard not to feel like I’ve let a lot of people down after all the time and investment from everyone at Ineos Grenadiers.”