INEOS Grenadiers bring Tour-level squad to already stacked Volta ao Algarve start list

Onley completed his planned step up over the winter. The young Scot, who helped keep Picnic PostNL out of relegation danger with his fourth place at the Tour de France, had been keen to join a bigger team with a larger budget. That move has now taken him to INEOS, who were eager to bring in a British Grand Tour prospect and agreed a deal with the Dutch squad.

The 2025 season was impressive across the board for Onley. He finished in the top five on general classification at the Tour Down Under, UAE Tour, Tour de Suisse and the Tour de France — results that underlined why it made sense to swap the team he rose through via their development pathway for a WorldTour giant from his own country.

Onley may not be the only new face. Vauquelin lit up French cycling fans at last year’s Tour de France, ultimately taking seventh overall. He spent a long spell in the white jersey before fading slightly in the final week, but the overall impression was still hugely positive — and he gave France a rider to dream about again.

However, Vauquelin was forced into a move. His former team Arkéa–B&B Hotels ran into serious financial problems after being unable to secure new sponsors, and ultimately disappeared from the peloton. Vauquelin’s search for a new employer therefore ended with INEOS, where — judging by the first signals — he may well be encouraged to chase big ambitions, including at the Tour de France.

Alongside Onley and Vauquelin, INEOS are expected to line up in Portugal with big names such as Ganna and Arensman. The provisional list also includes Kim Heiduk, Bob Jungels and in-form Ben Turner. But in this .Pro stage race, the Grenadiers can expect plenty of serious opposition: several top teams use the Algarve as an early-season stepping stone, and the start list reflects that.

INEOS’ strength will be tested by riders including João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates–XRG), Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek), Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe) and Richard Carapaz (EF Education–EasyPost). In other words, INEOS are far from the only team arriving with headline acts — and it should make for a fascinating fight across the week in southern Portugal.