Max Poole sees opportunity for breakthrough after Onley’s exit: “I could have been top 5 in the Giro”

The transfer of Oscar Onley from Picnic PostNL to INEOS Grenadiers was without doubt one of the most talked-about transfers of the winter. The young Scot broke through with a fourth place in the Tour de France in 2025, and although his contract with the Dutch team still had time to run, he chose to leave. Picnic PostNL received a substantial amount of money and already has his successor lined up.

Onley’s breakthrough was a big surprise in 2025, especially because at the start of the season it was not the Scot, but his half-year younger teammate Max Poole who was pushed forward as their Grand Tour rider. The still only 22-year-old Brit had a difficult 2024 behind him, but according to Picnic PostNL was ready for a leadership role in the Giro d’Italia.

After Poole in 2024 was playing catch-up following a heavy crash in the Tirreno-Adriatico, the same happened in 2025 after a crash in Strade Bianche and subsequently the Epstein-Barr virus in August. In between he did still finish eleventh in the Giro, in his first attempt as a Grand Tour rider. In 2024 he had already impressed as an attacker in the Vuelta a España.

The two unlucky years Poole hopes to turn into a season of success and possibly his own breakthrough in the WorldTour in 2026. With the Giro he is choosing Italy again for the second year in a row. “I had some family stuff at the start of the year, then obviously my collarbone break at Strade Bianche really impacted the preparation for the Giro," he said at Cyclingnews.

"It made the timeline so tight, just to make the Giro was already touch and go, so then to be in good shape for the Giro was almost impossible." Because of the Epstein-Barr virus his season ended early at the Tour of Poland in August, but that did give him time to think about his goals for the future. "I think there's a lot more that I can get out of myself with help from the team."

That Poole finished eleventh with a poor preparation was, according to him, a sign of what’s possible. He lost quite a bit of time, but got through in the third week. "I think I was at 85% after my fractured collarbone and disrupted Giro build-up. So there's a lot to clean up and improve on. In reality, I was good enough for perhaps fifth in the Giro, and that was with bad preparation."

In addition, after Onley’s departure he is now the main leader when it comes to general classifications. He will also start as team leader in the Volta ao Algarve and Paris-Nice. “Obviously, it's a shame to lose Oscar, but he's also my friend, and I'm happy for him. It's a move he wanted, and he deserved it. There's always a silver lining, and hopefully we can see some good performances from certain guys at Picnic-PostNL, who maybe wouldn't have the opportunities with Oscar still being here."