'I'm gutted' – Oscar Onley ruled out of Tour de France with shoulder injury
Netcompany-Ineos leader still recovering from crash at the recent Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Netcompany-Ineos rider Oscar Onley has been ruled out of the Tour de France with a "significant shoulder injury", his team has confirmed.
The 23-year-old Briton, who finished fourth at the race last year, abandoned the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes after crashing into a ravine on stage six less than two weeks ago.
At the time, Netcompany-Ineos announced Onley had dislocated his shoulder. A new medical update from the team has now revealed he will not be fit enough to start the Tour on 4 July.
"Following Oscar Onley's crash on stage six of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, further medical investigations have confirmed a significant shoulder injury," the team wrote in a statement.
"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."
Commenting in the press release, 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."
Onley made a cryptic allusion to his Tour absence in a Strava post on Wednesday, when he uploaded a 44km training ride in Andorra with the caption: "Road to the tour... of Guangxi."
The 23-year-old signed for Netcompany-Ineos in December last year, breaking his contract with his previous Picnic PostNL, with a view to leading the British squad's GC ambitions at the Tour.
At the time, Netcompany-Ineos director of racing Geraint Thomas described Onley as "mature beyond his years", adding he "complements our rider roster perfectly".
Onley's best GC results this season are fourth overall at the Volta ao Algarve, and 12th at the Volta a Catalunya. He abandoned the Tour de Romandie and Paris-Nice due to illness.
Netcompany-Ineos now face a leadership dilemma with nine days to go until the Tour opens in Barcelona.
There are doubts, too, over Kévin Vauquelin, seventh overall last year, who announced he will miss this week's French National Road Championships due to a virus. The team has not commented on Vauquelin's Tour participation.
