Oscar Onley is stepping into a new phase of his career as he lines up for his first race with Ineos Grenadiers at Volta ao Algarve on Wednesday but the 23-year-old isn't heading into the five-stage race in Portugal with the weight of early expectations, not given the priority of the season clearly lies in July.
The 23-year-old rider had originally been expecting to begin 2026 racing in Australia at the Tour Down Under, though that was before a late transfer from Picnic PostNL to Ineos Grenadiers was agreed upon late in December. After that his new team were quick to realign the season to work with its goals, and the main one has been made unequivocally clear.
"It's no secret that the Tour is the main focus for the year, for myself and for the team. I think we have a really strong line up there, and quite a few different and exciting goals going into it as well," said Onley in an interview released by Ineos Grenadiers.
The signing of Onley is clearly a key plank in the team's goal of once again putting a rider on the top step of the Tour de France podium as the British rider, along with another new signing Kévin Vauquelin, both finished in the top ten overall in 2025 – Onley in fourth and the French rider in seventh.
Both will be lining up at a race in Ineos Grenadiers kit for the first time at Vila Real de Santo António on stage 1 of Volta ao Algarve after training with the team in Tenerife. They will be racing in Portugal alongside Thymen Arensman, Filippo Ganna, Kim Heiduk, Laurens De Plus and Bob Jungels.
"I did this race three years ago now and I really enjoyed it back then.. It was a nice way to just start the season," said Onley who took out the youth classification at the event in 2023 and 12th overall in what was then one of his first races riding for WorldTour team Picnic PostNL.
Now, in his fourth season in the WorldTour, he is returning to the 2.Pro ranked event for another new beginning.
"I'm just looking forward to getting stuck into some racing this week. The main focus is really learning how the team works – you know I'm still learning where all the draws are on the bus are – so from a performance side, I don't feel any pressure to perform straight away," said Onley.
"I'm still figuring everything out in the team first and I think the important thing is how we work as a team, as riders, as a whole group here and having fun along the way as well."
After Volta ao Algarve Onley will turn his attention to a first appearance at Paris-Nice from March 8-15 and then "hopefully" Volta a Catalunya from March 23 to 29, in what he said was admittedly a quick turn around after Paris-Nice but was a race near home territory that he enjoyed.
"From there the build up really starts for the Tour and that normal pathway into there," said Onley, who the last two years has used the Tour de Suisse as his lead-in race to the July Grand Tour.
