Oscar Onley Withdraws from Paris-Nice Due to Illness

Ineos Grenadiers stage racing specialist Oscar Onley has withdrawn from Paris-Nice due to illness, the team confirmed on Friday morning. The 23-year-old was a non-starter for stage 6.

Onley was lying 10th 11 minutes and 23 seconds behind race leader Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike), after experiencing crashes and mechanical issues on the challenging stage 4, which was marked by treacherous weather conditions and multiple pile-ups Cycling Weekly.

Promising Start to the Season Interrupted

Signed in December from Picnic PostNL, Onley had a promising start to his debut season with Ineos Grenadiers, finishing fourth in the Volta ao Algarve. He was part of the Ineos Grenadiers winning line-up for the stage 3 team time trial at Paris-Nice, but his general classification bid faltered 24 hours later.

Vauquelin Continues in GC Battle

Despite Onley’s withdrawal, teammate Kévin Vauquelin remains in contention, currently fourth 6 minutes and 9 seconds behind Vingegaard.

High Number of Abandonments at Paris-Nice

Paris-Nice has seen a high number of abandonments this year, with 15 riders pulling out on stage 4 alone, including former race leader Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek), who suffered a heavy fall. Three other riders did not start stage 6 alongside Onley: Julien Bernard (Lidl-Trek), Iván Romeo (Movistar), and Rick Pluimers (Tudor) Cycling Weekly.

Future Plans Uncertain

Onley’s next scheduled event was the Volta a Catalunya in late March. However, following his withdrawal from Paris-Nice, his return to racing date and future program remain uncertain.