Take2 weeks ago
Onley spent the night before stage 4 on the toilet and still finished fourth on the first real climb of the Vuelta a España 2026, moving to fifth overall — 24 seconds off Primož Roglič in second — and taking the white jersey 21 seconds clear of Jarno Widar. «The white jersey matches the shorts, it's always good!»
He went into the stage half-expecting to lose GC entirely; instead he held the chasing group behind Pogačar's 50km solo and even picked up four bonus seconds on Alto de la Comella. The stomach illness was one more setback stacked on top of the ravine crash, surgery, and Tour de France miss — but the result answers the question the previous card left open: fifth overall after the first mountain test is not a coincidence, it's a position.
Sources
'I was up all night' – Oscar Onley hit by another setback but comes through first Vuelta a España GC showdown"I was half expecting to completely lose GC" - Oscar Onley goes from overnight sickness scare to fifth overall and Vuelta white jerseyOscar Onley: "I'm relieved"Onley climbs up to fifth at La Vuelta | Netcompany INEOSAs it happened: Domination on stage 4 of the Vuelta a España