The Santos Tour Down Under has delivered a different element of surprise and entertainment in every race. The latest entrant to its bonanza season is Oscar Onley’s first-ever professional cycling win at Willunga Hill. It was Onley’s biggest achievement to date in his emerging career and one that will give him immense confidence moving into the final race.

He now sits in the second position, just a little behind British cyclist Stephen Williams, who finished third in Stage 2, giving him a count back. However, both of them are tied on points and with both riders suited to the track at Adelaide Hills, the summit finish promises to be nothing short of riveting. Let’s take a look at how Onley scripted his maiden professional victory and what this means for his championship run.

Stage 5 belonged to Oscar Onley’s tactical acumen

The way the 21-year-old cycling rookie scripted a brilliant finish in a high-pressure last-minute sprint is a testament to his immense talent and skill. He spent the previous day training on Strava and kept clocking in all-time top ten timings. He leveled up his performance even further come race day and orchestrated a memorable win for both him and his team.

His performance was marked by the tactical acumen in his strategy and timing of moves. Clubbed with his exceptional climbing skills, Onley was a threat to every rider on the track. There were multiple attempts made by riders in the peloton to attack, but Onley had an answer for everything that came his way. Jayco-AlUla’s Chris Harper made the first move, but it was swiftly thwarted by the talented Scot and forced them to regroup.

With Onley and del Toro sprinting close in pursuit, the other cyclists picked up their pace on the climb and Simon Yates launched a daring attack. But, the training on Strava came to full use, as Onley made an audacious move in the last 150 meters, sped ahead of all those in front of him, and clinched his maiden professional cycling win.

A victory cycling fan will appreciate

To grab your maiden victory on such a massive stage against several cycling geniuses is no mean feat. However, all of this did not come easy for the Scottish cyclist. There was a lot of hard work that went on behind the scenes during the off-season and Oscar credits his win to the efforts of his team.

Things were not great for him at the end of last season when he was forced to exit a race he worked extra hard for. It was his first Grand Tour, the Vuelta a España and he crashed out after his wheel slipped underneath him on a corner, ending his race on Day 2 itself.

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Both his team and Oscar then went back to the drawing board and left no stone unturned to train efficiently. He spoke about their contributions and how they equally deserve to be celebrated. “I really have to credit the team. Over the winter they have helped me with this kind of tactical game because in the past I think maybe I have had the legs to get better results but I have not been tactically so smart,” said Onley. “It’s something I really focused on the last few weeks,” he added.

With all to race for at Adelaide Hills, Oscar and his team will be eyeing to pull off another tactical masterpiece. Stephen Williams sits at the top currently, but with the team spirit high and confidence skyrocketing, the final race of the Tour Down Under will be one to remember! A World Tour win at the age of 21 will truly be a special moment in cycling history.

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