A little less than 30 years after the Festina affair and the Armstrong era, the question of doping is still central in cycling. In an interview with the BBC, Briton Oscar Onley, who recently signed a contract with Ineos Grenadiers, gave his opinion on the professional environment in which he has just made his debut. “I know how much we are tested and how much I myself am tested, whether during the year or during the Tour de France,” says the nugget of the peloton.
Despite the numerous tests, the 23-year-old rider still explains that he does not believe that “cycling is completely clean” either: “I think it is naive to believe that it is clean throughout everyone. You just have to focus on yourself and trust that everyone is following the rules. With the regulations we follow, I think it’s hard to cheat these days. »
In recent years, no major rider has tested positive, without dispelling doubts surrounding the performances of the stars of the peloton, particularly in the Tour de France. Questioned in 2024 on the subject, Tadej Pogacar felt that cycling was “a victim of its past”. “There will always be jealousy, suspicions, I can’t do anything about that,” added the Slovenian, on the eve of the Tour of Lombardy
In the same BBC interview, Oscar Onley also talks about his ambitions. The fourth in the last Grande Boucle, who finished 12 minutes behind Tadej Pogacar, assumes his desire to win a Grand Tour soon: “I am convinced that, in the next two years, a podium is entirely possible if everything goes well for me. And then there are also two other Grand Tours in Italy and Spain where the competition is sometimes a little less stiff. If all goes well, why not try to win one? “. Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard are warned.
