"Just finishing the Vuelta is a success in itself" - Oscar Onley saves INEOS' Vuelta with Top5 and white jersey
Cycling
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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- I'm deeply sick of this guy and his unwillingness to race seriously for more than a month or two. I'll never respect riders who do that. Seixas will be stronger than him next season, and maybe Del Toro as well. I don't even think he'll finish on the podium at any GT where Pogi, Seixas, and Del Toro are racing.megasmacky15-11-2026
- Not a chance in hell.megasmacky15-11-2026
- If you go watch some races from last season other riders that have never caught Jonas...are now catching him. Some are just riding away from him and he can't hold the wheelmd197514-11-2026
- He just doesn't have the desire anymore. I read an article earlier today that said he almost retired last year. His reasoning was he is away from home to much. Visma was able to keep him riding by allowing him to skip certain camps. So, while currently Visma is doing altitude work...Jonas is at home. Which means 2 things. 1- He maybe fresher than other riders. But, not the condition. 2-Is a somewhat slap in the face to others on the team that are supposed to help him win. Yet feel like he hasn't done what they have so perhaps they don't provide as good of protection or they ride more for theme (which the team may not notice).md197514-11-2026
- Roglic could not have won anyway, after Jonas followed him when Roglic decided it was his turn for a stage win. Jonas had already attacked Kuss twice, so it was Jonas who was within seconds of taking the lead before Kuss was 'gifted' the win. It felt a bit like Roglic was being thrown under the bus when the team made his unhappiness public.Hills3314-11-2026
- POG1, another nice doc about our favourite, I watched most of it with a big smile on my face (except for the bits about his crashes 😢 obvs!).Lozza14-11-2026
- Martinez had a good year! 5th at the Tour was a great result for him, albeit largely through getting in successful breaks, but he held it better than Pidcock who’d done the same.Lozza14-11-2026
- guess what Valgren, you're 34, and no you're not good enough. sorry to say.mij14-11-2026
- I'm a sepp fan and like to think he earned that LOL, indulge me : ) I think Jonas was fine. Roglic did not want to concede to Sepp. and I don't think you ever attack your own teammate in the leaders jersey if he is holding his own, which Sepp just about was.mij14-11-2026
- enough time? he's 24 years old. He's won 10 races over the last 2 years and some are significant. I won't argue about his attitude being good - it needs to improve. But with some coaching and mentorship he has a lot of winning ahead of him and has plenty of time to win a GT. I don't think he will ever beat Tadej, but everyone else is fair game Look at Mas and Valverde - they were 31 and 29, respectively, when they won the Vuelta.mij14-11-2026
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