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Oscar Onley says the 2027 Tour de France’s two individual time trials, totaling 71km, could be a main factor in the general-classification race. He expects the flat courses to favor specialists such as Remco Evenepoel, while saying he is confident in his own team’s time-trial preparation. The race will also begin with three stages in Great Britain, including a stage near Onley’s home in Scotland.
Oscar Onley says the 71km of individual time trials on the 2027 Tour de France route could be a main factor in the general-classification contest. The route includes two long, fairly flat tests. Speaking to Cycling Weekly at the presentation in Paris, the British rider said they could create different race scenarios and said Remco Evenepoel was likely to welcome the format.
The route features a 33km time trial on stage seven, from Blois to Chambord, and a 38km test around Toulouse on stage 16. Together, the individual events total 71km, the most time-trial distance in a Tour since the 2012 edition, which included 96.1km. The 2027 course thus places a substantial emphasis on racing alone against the clock, alongside its mountain stages.
“I think the time trials really stand out as a main factor,” Onley told Cycling Weekly. He said the two tests are “long” and “fairly flat,” adding that they could create different opportunities and scenarios for contenders. Onley also said he is confident because his team has put work into time trials and his equipment set-up, and already has plans to review that set-up.
Onley expects the route to suit Evenepoel, the world and Olympic time-trial champion who rides for Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe. “I think for Remco, he’s going to be really happy looking at that,” he said, pointing to the flat terrain as a chance for Evenepoel to gain an advantage over other general-classification riders.
Time Trials Could Reshape the GC
The route’s 71km against the clock gives time-trial ability a clear place in the overall contest. Riders who can limit losses—or take time—on flat courses may be better positioned before the Tour’s mountain stages, while climbers who are less effective in time trials could face pressure to recover time elsewhere. The actual impact will depend on rider form, tactics and how the race unfolds.
Four-time Tour winner Chris Froome, speaking at the presentation, also highlighted the time-trial distance. He said adding more kilometres against the clock could keep the general-classification contest alive longer, in part because Tadej Pogačar has been so dominant in the mountains. That is Froome’s assessment of the route’s possible effect, not a guarantee of how the race will develop.
For Onley, the route is relevant both competitively and personally. He finished fourth overall at the 2025 Tour, and the 2027 opening stage will pass close to his home in Kelso, in the Scottish Borders. Whether he rides the race, and what role he would have, have not been confirmed in the source report.
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A Route With Scottish Roots
The 2027 Tour route was presented in Paris on Thursday. The race is set to begin with three stages across Great Britain, with the Grand Départ in Edinburgh. The first stage passes near Kelso, where Onley grew up and trained; he told Cycling Weekly he knows almost all of the route, apart from roughly the final 10km into Carlisle.
Onley named the Côte de Melrose, a 2.2km climb averaging 6.7% and the stage’s only categorized climb, as a familiar section. He said he has done many training efforts there. He also said he had not yet discussed a plan with his team for how to approach the home roads, noting the need to balance taking in the occasion with the demands of the opening day of a Grand Tour.
Onley’s recent results have established him as a British general-classification contender. After placing fourth at the 2025 Tour, a shoulder injury ruled him out of leading Netcompany-Ineos at the Tour described in the report as taking place that summer. He later returned to finish sixth at the Vuelta a España and win its young rider classification.
“I think the time trials really stand out as a main factor.”
— Oscar Onley, speaking to Cycling Weekly in Paris
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Riders’ Plans Are Not Set
The route details and the distances of the two individual time trials are reported, but the 2027 rider line-ups and team roles are not established in the source material. Onley’s comments about Evenepoel’s likely advantage are an assessment, not a confirmed prediction of the result. The report does not provide profiles, gradients or technical details beyond describing both time trials as fairly flat.
Onley also had not yet spoken with his team about how to handle the stage-one roads near his home. His participation in the 2027 Tour and any specific preparation plan remain unconfirmed. The route’s impact on the general classification will only become clearer as teams announce plans and the race approaches.
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Teams Begin Route Planning
The next steps are for riders and teams to assess the full route, select equipment and build preparation around the two time trials and the mountain stages. Onley said his team already has plans to revisit his time-trial set-up, though he did not give a timetable or describe specific changes.
For Onley, planning will also include the opening stage in Scotland. He said he wants to make the most of racing on roads where he trained while avoiding getting carried away on the first day. The eventual start lists, team leadership decisions and rider form will determine whether the time trials play the decisive role he anticipates.
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Key Questions
How many individual time-trial kilometres are on the 2027 Tour route?
The route has 71km of individual time trials: 33km on stage seven from Blois to Chambord, and 38km around Toulouse on stage 16.
Why does Oscar Onley think the time trials matter?
Onley said the two long, fairly flat tests could create different opportunities and scenarios in the general-classification race. Riders’ results will depend on their form and the way the race develops.
Why did Onley mention Remco Evenepoel?
Onley said the flat time trials should suit Evenepoel, the world and Olympic time-trial champion, and could give him an advantage over other general-classification contenders.
Will the 2027 Tour start near Oscar Onley’s home?
The Tour is scheduled to begin with three stages in Great Britain, starting in Edinburgh. Stage one passes close to Kelso, where Onley grew up, but the source does not confirm whether he will ride the 2027 race.
Source: rss
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