Oscar Onley has made history by matching Robert Millar's 1984 achievement, securing a remarkable fourth place in the Tour de France. The 22-year-old from Kelso, Scotland, described this as a "huge moment in my career" that "sparks a bit of a dream."

Initially targeting stage wins in his second Tour, Onley and his team, Picnic-Post NL, had not planned to compete for the General Classification (GC). "We never really had the plan to go for GC in the beginning. It was more just see how it goes," Onley told ITV Sport.

Reflecting on his unexpected success, Onley said, "To be honest, I've never even thought about a top five in the Tour before, so to get it in my first try in GC is quite incredible and I'm excited for the future."

After Tadej Pogacar won his fourth Tour de France and Wout Van Aert secured the final stage in a rain-soaked Paris, Onley shared his thoughts on competing with the top riders. "It gives me a lot of confidence for the upcoming races as well as these are the top guys and in top shape in the biggest race," he said.

Onley praised his team for a "really well-managed" three-week campaign. "There was no pressure from the team," he noted. "They've handled that really well because I think as soon as you say you are going for GC, there's a lot more attention on you."

On the final climb of Montmartre, Onley was able to "soak it all in" and described riding down the Champs Elysees to the finish as "pretty special." He concluded, "I guess this is a really big moment in my career. I don't really realise it yet, but I think just with talking to other riders, going forward now we have something to build on and an exciting project for the future and it sparks a bit of a dream I guess."

This historic finish not only marks a significant milestone for Onley but also heralds a new era for Scottish cycling, inspiring future generations to dream big and aim high in the world of competitive cycling.