"I feel fine on the bike" - Oscar Onley hopes worst of Vuelta stomach bug is behind him in general classification fight
CyclingThursday, 27 August 2026 at 09:55
Oscar Onley is hoping that a stomach bug is behind him at the Vuelta a Espana as the INEOS frontman heads towards the weekend at the Spanish Grand Tour. Just under four minutes down on race leader Tadej Pogacar, Onley finds himself just off the podium in the battle amongst the rest.
A deficit of almost four minutes just five stages into the Vuelta seems like a poor start by usual standards, but with the UAE Team Emirates - XRG leader's glaring superiority over the rest of the field, the British rider can use the podium as a better metric of where he is.
Sitting at 3:45, he finds himself just 24 seconds adrift of Primoz Roglic in second place and 13 seconds behind Enric Mas' final podium spot. The 23-year-old also finds himself in the white jersey.
What makes his strong start all the more impressive is that he has openly admitted to be fighting a stomach bug in the opening week of La Vuelta, with his latest update offering hope that he has recovered ahead of the weekend's action.
Onley recovers from stomach bug
"I'm pretty much back to normal now, I think," said Onley told CyclingNews after stage 5. "I feel fine on the bike and, obviously, yesterday seemed to have pretty good legs, so yeah, I'm still in good shape, I think."
With a series of short climbs making for a nervous day for general classification leaders and sprinters, stage 5 came down to a reduced bunch sprint as around 90 riders made it to the finish together. Onley praised teammates Ben Turner and Joshua Tarling's work during the stage to keep him safe.
"We said before the start that with the wind and the climbs in the final, we had to really be switched on today. And again, the boys really nailed it into every section that we wanted to be in front, we were there.
Oscar Onley on the podium after stage 4 of the 2026 Vuelta a Espana
Onley pays tribute to Turner and Tarling
"And yeah, especially Ben [Turner] and Josh [Tarling], they did some really big turns today, so it was really good," said Onley after finishing safely within the bunch."
Axel Laurence picked up a notable fifth place in the reduced sprint, and Onley praised his performance given he had little assistance from teammates due to the demanding stage.
"The first goal was to protect me, and then after the last climb, we were just going to reassess. He did really well considering he was by himself for the last 5km," said Onley.
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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- Stop with the excuses. Train harder!
Front24227-08-2026 - He rode like a boss in the TDF - chapeau!Crashjames27-08-2026
- Capish has a ? not a ! you American twat
Rafionain-Glas27-08-2026 - So are millions of others.Renz27-08-2026
- What is Naesen's definition of an opponent? Giulio Pellizzari, on stage 16 of the 2024 Giro, battled to stay ahead of Pogačar. After failing to do so, he asked for Pogačar's glasses, and recieved that aswell as the (sweaty) jersey. He later was the only rider who fought Pogačar on Monte Grappa, attacking from the favourites on the first ascent and flying past the breakaway before he was caught by Pogačar on the second ascent, but stayed with him for a kilometre or two. That's clearly viewing Pogačar as an opponentRafionain-Glas27-08-2026
- I think that's a bit too generous. He seems to spend more time ill or crashing than actually rolling his wheels on the bikeRafionain-Glas27-08-2026
- That man (Cian) is an absolute rolling disaster.wrsty27-08-2026
- Er, he didn't ask for the glasses, as you yourself say. A bottle is not much to give, but those glasses were special.Hills3327-08-2026
- A monopoly is generally considered harmful to consumers and the economy because it eliminates competition, often leading to higher prices and lower quality. Pogi and his backers have created a monopoly.
vannpelt27-08-2026 - His racing weight for the Tour de l'Avenir was 59 kg for 1.81 m, which is extraordinary lean. Despite that, his time trialing (something not assessed at the Tour de l'Avenir, but at the Giro) is at a high level.Rafionain-Glas27-08-2026
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