An introverted extrovert, Oscar is initially a quieter person, but he soon opens up more and his broad smile and joyful attitude radiates out of him as he takes about his passion for bikes and racing.
Hailing from Kelso in the rolling hills of the Scottish Borders, Oscar was introduced to cycling by his local club which held their 10-mile time trial basically in front of his own doorstep. Initially he played football, then cricket and tennis but at the age of ten he was able to join the cycling club and start to compete. From there he progressed to doing more national races in Scotland, then throughout the whole of Britain before also racing on the continent as a junior.
Yet, it was a toss-up between cycling and running for younger Oscar, who was also a talented cross-country athlete, but he eventually found himself on two-wheels as he preferred to do his running training on the bike, so there was only ever going to be one winner.
2022 saw Oscar take on his second year with the team as he continued to make those strides and improvements. Despite not picking up any “top” results as he calls it, a fifth place on GC at the Circuit des Ardennes gave Oscar the “confidence in the way he was racing” and set the tone for the rest of the year.
A strong ninth overall at the Baby Giro followed before a breakthrough win over the climbs to Cervinia at the Giro Valle d’Aosta. The momentum kept building for Oscar who would take seventh at the Sazka Tour, impress on home roads at the Tour of Britain before an exceptional third on GC at the CRO Race – which catapulted him into the wider cycling world’s conscience.
However, his humble Scottish demeanour means Oscar has remained level-headed and is still the “same guy he was before”; and he wants to learn as much as possible from the team and the other more experienced riders around him so that he can be the best cyclist he possibly can. A reflective person, he also highlights that there are still quite a few weaknesses that he needs to work on.
Motivated by the Team GC Camp earlier in the year, where he joined several of the Men’s program who were preparing for the Vuelta and other races; Oscar took confidence from that, knowing he “wasn’t too far off them”. The ambitious Scot is determined to bring himself to that level in the coming years – after this year signing a five year deal with the team.
Reflecting on who he is as a person, Oscar describes himself as motivated, a bit obsessive, and punctual. He says a lot of those things help him in his career as a cyclist, although he jokes that his obsession sometimes gets the best of him outside his time on the bike – “if I start a new hobby then I get really involved in it and want to learn everything I can”.
When he’s not racing you can find Oscar relaxing and spending time with friends at a local café, honing his swing on the golf course or practicing his cooking skills while listening to some chill rap music.
