'Some haggis and a deep-fried Mars Bar' - Local star Oscar Onley highlights Scottish specialities ahead of 2027 Tour de France

Tour de France contender Oscar Onley says he is counting the days to the race's start in Scotland, where the GC specialist will be looking forward to what he calls a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" to race cycling's biggest professional event on home soil.

In the meantime, too, he's got every intention highlighting some specialities in the local diet to Tour de France followers who may be unfamiliar with Scottish culinary traditions.

Asked at the Tour de France presentation in Paris on Thursday what people can expect as a Scottish welcome, Onley said - half-jokingly - "Some haggis and a deep-fried Mars Bar, that'd be the go-to.

"It'll be really special, I think, particularly because of the crowds, they always get behind the big sporting events and I expect the same thing next year as well.

"It's something I couldn't even have dreamed of, normally the Tour de France is in France, so it's a once-in-a lifetime opportunity. I really want to hopefully be there, and that's my first goal."

Fourth in the 2025 Tour de France was a breakthrough result for Onley, but then injuries incurred in a major crash on a descent on stage 7 of the Critérium du Dauphiné put paid to his chances of racing it this summer.

Onley subsequently bounced back to take fourth overall in the Vuelta a España, but he denied that there was any extra pressure on him to perform as Ineos have such a significant series of past success in the Tour de France.

"I don't think so. As riders we all put a lot of pressure on ourselves, it's more the team do a good job in managing that and making sure we do everything we need to. But they don't add pressure to what we do."

That said, the goal of winning a Grand Tour remains the main objective for Netcompany Ineos, he argued and "the Tour de France is the biggest one, every team has these big ambitions and we're no different.

"I think from what I've seen in the team this year, we're definitely going in the right direction, we have all the resources to make something like this happen."

Nor are the past Grand Tour victories a distant memory of glories past, he argues, for Netcompany Ineos, with riders who remain in the current lineup also part of the former success in those races.

"Kwiato [Michal Kwiatkowski] is still in the team, he's also been part of a lot of these Tour-winning teams. He's always got lots of stories of training camps and races as well, and it's quite inspiring when he says these things over dinner to us."

The route for 2027 is now out, in any case, and Onley is convinced that having that knowledge so soon, nearly seven months before the event actually starts in Edinburgh next July 2, can only be a good thing. He hasn't yet pinpointed one stage as one that suits him particularly well - although he's certain that'll happen. Rather the idea is to stay in the action in the race from start to finish.

"There are opportunities everywhere, everyone's got weaknesses and strengths and it's better to know the course now, you can really prepare for what's ahead," he reasoned.

"It's not like no-one knows the parcours. There are no excuses for July."

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