From the Scottish Borders to 4th place in Monaco: the rapid rise of Vuelta a España debutant Callum Thornley
CyclingThursday, 27 August 2026 at 12:06
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Follow us on GoogleA fourth place in the opening time trial of the 2026 Vuelta a España introduced plenty of fans to Callum Thornley for the first time. Hailing from Peebles in the Scottish Borders, ‘Big Cal’ has made a rapid rise to the World Tour through the Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe development team. His breakout ride at the Vuelta a España time trial, his debut at a Grand Tour, will come as no surprise when you know his backstory.
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TL;DR article summary
- Callum Thornley was born in Peebles, Scotland in 2003 and started cycling off-road before switching to the road as a 16-year-old.
- After strong Junior results he joined British team Trinity racing where he excelled in time trials, before joining the Red Bull development team, The Rookies.
- He was then fast-tracked into the senior squad for 2026. He made his Grand Tour debut at the Vuelta a España, finishing 4th in the opening time trial.
Read more below the photo!
Thornley cut his teeth racing the likes of Matt Brennan at the Nationals
From Peebles trails to the WorldTour
Thornley was born in Edinburgh on 5 August 2003 and grew up in Peebles, a small town in the Scottish Borders known locally for its mountain-biking trails. He started riding off-road at Glentress at the age of eight through races organised by Peebles Cycling Club, only switching to the road as a 16-year-old.
His interest in racing can be traced back further still, to a family holiday in France where he watched the Tour de France live in the mountains: "“We saw the Tour de France in person. From that day forward, I knew I wanted to ride professionally,” he says.
Thornley's rise through the ranks has been rapid. After early junior results, including a stage win and second overall at the 2019 Youth Tour of Errigal in Ireland, he rode for Trinity Racing before joining Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe's newly formed development squad, the Rookies, in 2025.
He became the first rider to graduate from that programme straight into the WorldTour team, stepping up for the 2026 season. "As a kid, I just started blasting down the trails with my friends," Thornley has said on his team’s website. "“Then I entered my first local races—off-road crits held every Thursday. That’s when cycling truly became my thing.”
Time trial performances made Red Bull take note
Recent seasons point to genuine time trial ability alongside a strong engine on rolling terrain. In 2024, Thornley finished tenth at Paris-Roubaix Espoirs and took the mountains classification at the Tour of Britain, a race that started on his home roads in the Scottish Borders.
Riding the Giro d'Italia Next Gen the same year, he was fifth in the opening time trial and second on stage seven. In 2025, he added a stage win at the Sibiu Cycling Tour and third place in the under-23 time trial at the World Championships, results that underlined why Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe fast-tracked him into their senior squad.
Thornley finished 4th in Monaco, beating big names like Wout van Aert
Grand Tour debut and a statement in Monaco
None of that quite prepared him for the scale of his Vuelta debut. On the 9.4-kilometre Monaco time trial, Thornley briefly held the fastest provisional time before the leading contenders had even started, eventually finishing fourth overall, five seconds behind stage winner Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and just one second shy of a top-three finish. Rising-star on the time trial scene or not, such a performance onGrand Tour debut is certainly note-worthy.
Off the bike, Thornley's profile is growing alongside his results: his Instagram account (@callumthornley_) has picked up nearly 5,000 followers as his stock has risen with Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe. Whether he can back up this early promise over three weeks of racing remains to be seen, but the Vuelta a España has already delivered a breakout moment for Scottish cycling.
David Bavin-HobbsChief Editor
David has been working in the sports & cycling industry for 16 years. Covering racing, business and technology, he has worked in communications for cycling companies, teams, and as a journalist. His proudest achievement is winning the first bike race he ever entered. He hasn't won a race since.
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Latest Comments
- - Grande Victor! “Paso a paso” y ya estás en la línea del arcoíris. Bonne chance, champion.lindae27-08-2026
- - Lovely story, but the article’s a bit light on his actual training load and whether he’s tested race-pace starts. A few watt numbers or rehab details would help. Feels a tad PR-ish.velodromevirtuoso127-08-2026
- - Quick question: how risky is it to race so soon after a second surgery? Do riders usually come back to short track first because it’s shorter, or is the intensity actually harder on the arm?jeremya27-08-2026
- - So no MvdP changes the dynamics a lot. Expect guys like Sarrou, Schwarzbauer, and Braidot to push early, but Victor’s kick in the last two laps is lethal if the arm holds. Allez, VK!sprocketspiny27-08-2026
- - Goosebumps reading this. For Koretzky to line up after a double surgery and missed World Cups… that’s pure grit. Defending the XCC stripes won’t be easy but he’s got the race craft for a short track finale.bikebuffj27-08-2026
- - Is Tour de l’Avenir basically like the “U23 Tour de France”? How long are the stages compared to the real Tour, and why is the yellow jersey used here too?patriciaw27-08-2026
- - So he’s racing Worlds in Montréal already? Against Pogacar and Remco at 19… wild. Curious how he’ll handle longer pro distances and positioning at that level. Hope they don’t rush him.julien27-08-2026
- - Great write-up. Loved the detail on Mouris, Donati, Møller Andersen, and Fietzke. Proper team ride to keep the break on a short leash, then full gas on Lago Serrù. Chapeau all round.raceready727-08-2026
- - Small correction maybe: did he win junior worlds in 2024 and then U23 worlds too? The phrasing confused me a bit. Either way, first since Baronchelli to do the double is massive.bikebuffj27-08-2026
- - What a season from Finn. Winning Giro Next Gen and l’Avenir in the rainbow bands is bonkers. Reminds me of Pogacar’s junior-to-U23 dominance, but with even more polish in TTs.cyclechamp4527-08-2026
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