Oscar Onley Drops Chain as Netcompany-Ineos Wait in Tour Test

Oscar Onley dropped his chain during the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes team time trial, and Netcompany-Ineos waited for him rather than press on. The pause left Kévin Vauquelin frustrated, with the incident unfolding in the same format that will open the Tour de France in Barcelona on 4 July.

Onley, Vauquelin, and the delay

Onley and Vauquelin still worked as a duo to record the second-best time, but the chain issue briefly broke the rhythm. Matteo Jorgenson then produced an all-out solo effort to the top of the 800m climb to the finish, giving Visma-Lease a Bike the sharpest result on the day.

The format matters because rider times are recorded individually, and the fastest rider home registers the win for the team. That is different from the older approach many races used, where the time was taken on the fourth rider across the line, and it changes how a team reacts when one rider hits trouble.

Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Preview

ASO first trialled the newer setup at Paris-Nice in 2023, and this race was presented as a preview of what comes next in July. The Tour de France opener in Barcelona will cover 19 kilometres, a short stage that leaves little room for a mistake, a repair, or a hesitation like the one that caught Onley.

More than a minute separated the top-10 finishers in the final count, which shows how quickly the field was spread out once the efforts were on. For Netcompany-Ineos, the useful takeaway was not just the delay itself but that Onley still regrouped with Vauquelin and held on to the second-best time.

Barcelona on 4 July

The opening team time trial in Barcelona now looms as a direct test of the same rules. With individual rider times deciding the result and the stage set at 19 kilometres, every mechanical problem and every pause can force a choice between stopping for a teammate or protecting the clock.