DSM-Firmenich rising stars Onley and Poole look forward to "very valuable" three weeks of Vuelta

DSM-Firmenich is fully committed to stage victories in the Vuelta a España, but don't let that fool you! With team's abundant talent, aiming for the general classification is not automatically off the table, now that Romain Bardet has said he will focus on stages. The youngsters under his shadow are definitely eager to give it a go for the sake of their development, they told IDLProCycling.com on Friday.

The first among them is Oscar Onley, 20 years old and a pro at DSM-Firmenich since this year. We already knew him from the CRO Race in 2022, where he was able to keep up with Jonas Vingegaard multiple times. This year he has already made a name for himself in races such as the Tour of Algarve, Tour of Hungary and Tour of Poland. In the latter, he finished tenth and found just the right motivation to appear optimally prepared for the Vuelta. "It's been a relatively successful year so far. There have been low points, but I've learned a lot about what I can handle and about preparation. I'm happy with that for a first year in the WorldTour," he summarized.

Ups and downs, Onley says, were necessary for him to grow. "I was sick during a busy period in April and May, which made it difficult to train properly. As a result, I struggled in the subsequent races. It's good to hit those limits so that I know better what I can do, which will help in the years to come. I'm feeling really good now after a high-altitude training camp in July with the team and the Tour of Poland. I'm happy with my form and am looking forward to the Vuelta. I have now raced against most of the big names and I know where I stand and what suits me well."

This is promising, especially since Onley indicates that he does not rule out competing in the general classification in the Vuelta. "I'm curious about the opportunities that will arise, whether it's for the general classification or for stage wins. I'm going to find out how my body reacts to three weeks of racing, and that will be very valuable. I want to learn, as I'm a neo-pro and still very young. Ultimately, we're aiming for stage wins as a team, but I'm not going to deliberately lose time. The first week already has some tough stages, so we'll quickly see where I stand. Maybe I can finish in the top fifteen, or maybe I'll join in the breakaway. We'll see that in the first week."

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Poole realized how good he is in the Dauphiné

Max Poole is the other climbing talent that DSM-Firmenich is deploying in the Vuelta. Like Onley, he signed a contract this year until the end of 2027, meaning the two Brits have committed to the Dutch team for the long term. "I'm looking forward to it, starting with the team time trial in the evening in Barcelona, and also what follows in the three weeks after that. It has been a good season, during which I've proven that I can compete with the best in the world. I'd like to test myself over the three weeks and see how it goes, as well as apply the things I've learned in practice," Poole told this website.

The climber especially impressed in the Critérium du Dauphiné, where he finished 13th but was in contention for a solid top 10 for a long time. He finished a respectable fourth in Romandie and Hungary, so he won't be immediately ruling out the general classification for the Vuelta either. "I'm aiming for stage wins, but it would be foolish to deliberately lose time. I want to test myself and will try to stay with the best for as long as possible. That will be an experience in itself. When will my Vuelta be successful? I hope to get through these three weeks well, so that I can gain a lot of experience. The Vuelta will be a major learning experience for the coming years."

Having Bardet in the Tour of Spain can already help Onley and Poole. "We will pick up things from him during the race, because you find yourself in new and different situations. Romain has been in such situations before and knows how to deal with them. The fact that we young guys can learn from him is a big advantage," Onley states, who is also not afraid of the Spanish heat that will come in September. "I live in Girona, and it has already been hot there for the past week. I'm not saying I love it, but I can say that I am accustomed to it. However, there is a big difference between training in the heat and racing in the heat. That will be a significant factor."