At INEOS Grenadiers, Onley dares to dream of greatness in Grand Tours: 'Why can't I try to win one of those?'

After an outstanding year with Picnic PostNL, Oscar Onley made a surprising late transfer. The Scot left the Dutch squad and signed with INEOS Grenadiers. The British team have secured a homegrown leader for the future, while Onley himself has taken a clear step up. The big question now is: what can we expect from the young climber in 2026?

Onley had already been one of the key riders for Picnic PostNL and its predecessor teams for several seasons. In both 2023 and 2024, he ranked among the team’s three biggest points scorers, and in 2024 and 2025 he even topped that list. In his final season, he reached new heights, with a stage win and third place overall at the Tour de Suisse, and of course an impressive fourth place in the Tour de France.

In 2023, the Scot made his debut in a Grand Tour, but did not finish the Vuelta a España. A year later, he rode his very first Tour de France, finishing 39th overall. Many fans already knew he was a strong climber, but a podium challenge at the Tour? That seemed a step too far. "It really feels like it came quite quickly in the last few months before the Tour," he told BBC. "Everything started to click into place and so I was starting to gain a lot more confidence in myself as well."

In France, Onley enjoyed an excellent first week, putting him in a strong position heading into the Pyrenees. There, he surprised many observers, and in the Alps he even proved capable of fighting for a podium place. In the end, he finished one minute behind Florian Lipowitz, but the gap to Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard was still very large: eight minutes down on the Dane and no less than twelve on the Tour winner.

Even so, it gives him confidence for the future. "I still feel very far away," he admitted. "To the front two, there is a big gap from the rest of us, but I definitely feel that, in the next couple of years, a podium finish is definitely possible if things go the right way for me. And there's also two other Grand Tours in Italy and Spain where sometimes the competition's slightly less deep. If it goes the right way, then why can't I try to win one of those?"

The biggest goal for the 23-year-old comes not in 2026, but in 2027, when the Tour de France will start in Edinburgh, in his home country. "It is something I'm really looking forward to," he said. "I think the UK and Scotland really put on a good show whenever big events come to the country, such as the Commonwealth Games or the road world cycling championships in Glasgow a couple of years ago."

If Onley continues his upward trajectory, it would not be unrealistic to imagine something very special from him in that race. A Grand Tour starting on home soil would make it even more meaningful. "I have not been able to experience something like this in Scotland yet, but I really hope I can be there next year on the start line in Edinburgh and take everything in and to see friends and family there will be quite special."

At INEOS Grenadiers, Onley will also be reunited with former Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas, who has retired as a rider but now serves as Head of Racing. The two already knew each other well from the national team. "He is someone I always looked up to. The way he can focus on a certain goal every year he's been professional," he said. "In the last few years racing beside him has been quite inspiring."