"Just finishing the Vuelta is a success in itself" - Oscar Onley saves INEOS' Vuelta with Top5 and white jersey
CyclingMonday, 14 September 2026 at 12:15
The Vuelta a España has come to an end and Oscar Onley has finished it with the white jersey on his shoulders. Whilst the Netcompany INEOS rider aimed high after the withdrawal of Tadej Pogacar, the jersey and a Top5 make for the British team's main achievement in the race.
In Granada, Onley was able to raise his arms, having conquered the youth classification ahead of Jakob Omrzel. It was Onley's first and only Grand Tour of the year, and a brutal one on the body.
"It's been three long weeks, I think. There's always a lot of tension and stress surrounding the race, especially when you're competing for the overall classification; so it feels good and it's a relief to be done now," the white jersey said following the race.
A few glimpses of brilliancy throughout the three weeks reminded the cycling world of Onley's ability in the mountains, but ultimately the Scottish rider could not contest for the final podium in the string of high mountain stages.
He led Netcompany INEOS for the first time in a three-week race, obtaining importance experience with a team where pressure is significantly higher than his former Team Picnic PostNL.
"To be honest, the team we had here was truly incredible—not just in terms of how we rode, but also in terms of the atmosphere off the bike and at the dinner table in the evenings. I’ll remember that for a long time. You can’t force things like this, but when the chemistry is right and it all comes together naturally, it’s truly something special. I enjoyed it immensely".
Oscar Onley climbing with Enric Mas at the end of stage 9
Crashes and illnesses come in the way
INEOS' last win was on the 16th of August, almost a month ago, by Andrew August who is departing the team. During the whole Vuelta and fall period since then, the British team haven't struck one win.
The Briton was close to doing so on stage 9, the day Enric Mas first had the red jersey on his shoulders, but the eventual GC winner was superior in the final meters of the climb.
"I wouldn't say I have any regrets. There were a few setbacks, but they weren’t due to things I could really control. I got a little sick during the first week, and after that I had a few crashes, which of course is never ideal. I think I’ve learned a lot from the way the team and I made plans to get back in top shape".
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After a non-ideal summer, Onley's expectations weren't the highest into this Vuelta, taking into consideration what the Briton has done in 2025. Nevertheless, it assures his comeback, consistency, and confirms the British team are safe to bet on him in 2027.
"I think it's fair to say that this hasn't been a great season for me, so just finishing the Vuelta is a success in itself. And of course, it's also nice to ride at a decent level for three weeks, he concluded. "It gives me a lot of motivation and confidence for the future."
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- The factor of the no-Pogacar, is another point of note, no one wins with Pogacar around or it's close.. I think their should be a rule, if Pogacar's in a race then his results should be ignored
leedorney14-09-2026 - what a garbage takewrsty14-09-2026
- Pity Kuss couldn’t find back his past performance except for one or two good stages. Makes you wonder how he ever managed to win it even if you ignore the others on the podium were restrained.Jumpyjohn14-09-2026
- A bit of a whiner though. Attracts attention to himself and then complains people pay attention to him. You don’t usually achieve change by trying to force things through, and that’s when there’s more or less consensus it’s necessary or good. If you’re just doing it because it’s convenient for YOU or to go it alone against established ways, you’ve got no chance.Jumpyjohn14-09-2026
- Change the record.Cyclingsbestfan14-09-2026
- I'm sorry to see him go. We need people who shake things up or things never change. This reminds me of how the UCI treated Graeme Obree (google the name younngsters) back in the day.Cyclingsbestfan14-09-2026
- It is good news for cycling fans, but I doubt that the many peoples of the world that are put upon will even know about it.Cyclingsbestfan14-09-2026
- At least we saw a great race in Montreal, not like the boring Vuelta. Who cares if Mas or Roglič or Gall or anyone else won this boring race. I see comments on this site, after Pogi crashed, went down at least 25%. Pogi haters and other fools on this site won't admit it. While they celebrated Pogi's crash and saying the Vuelta was "exciting again," the reality is that the second and third weeks of the Vuelta attracted far fewer viewers. David Bavin-HobbsIn on PRO CYCLING: "A cycling world that has been dominated for years by Pogačar and UAE Emirates-XRG—and in a world where people talk about the sport being “boring,” “monotonous,” and “unexciting”—the Slovenian’s withdrawal provided a very enlightening insight. For although Pogacar had the Vuelta firmly in his grasp, far more people were watching when he was in the race versus after his departure. The statistics website Procyclingstats shared a rather bizarre graph showing the sharp drop in visitor numbers since Pogacar was forced to withdraw. In recent years, there had always been an increase in unique visitors during the first and second weeks of the Vuelta. However, Pogacar’s withdrawal resulted in a 15 percent drop."PogiSloFans14-09-2026
- Loved the kit Movistar put together, too, that has to be one of the best GT winning kits I’ve seen.anonymouscyclist14-09-2026
- Somehow Seixas went to sleep just as Del Toro launched his sprint. Seixas says he's still learning, and he won't make that mistake again. And Remco still beat Pidcock in the sprint for fifth after burning too many matches. Should be a great Worlds race indeed!Hills3314-09-2026
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