Can Josh Tarling put Remco Evenepoel under pressure? “I feel strong”

Tarling began last season strongly with a time trial win at the UAE Tour, before a disappointing spring Classics campaign led into the Giro d’Italia — his second Grand Tour. In Albania, he won stage 2 in Tirana, taking his first ever Grand Tour victory in the race against the clock.

“I honestly have better memories from the road stages,” Tarling laughs in a video shared by INEOS Grenadiers. “In a time trial you sit in the hot seat for ages, so it’s more relief when it happens. But the vibe was good — and I had Ben (Turner) as a lead-out, and we did really well as a team. The days I worked well for Ben, or the gravel stage with Egan (Bernal)… that was cool.”

The key was gaining experience — and Tarling says he genuinely enjoyed his time in Italy. “Even the days I went in the break were great. It was brutal, and even the day after the win I had to be in the break again. But I have better memories of the atmosphere, and helping Egan and Thymen (Arensman).”

The Giro ultimately ended in disappointment. Tarling crashed heavily in the rain during stage 16 and was forced to abandon with serious back injuries. “It was more depressing because it was such a boring crash,” he says with a grin. “Crashes are never cool, but if it’s spectacular, it makes sense that you’re battered. I just went straight on at a roundabout. A lack of talent, I guess,” the young rider jokes.

The remainder of his season was largely disrupted, but in late October he won the Chrono des Nations time trial — well clear of Jay Vine — a sign he was back on track. That progress has continued through the winter. “I feel really good, I feel strong,” Tarling says. “I still need a bit of fine-tuning, but then I’ll be completely ready.”

The former European time trial champion wants to shine again in races against the clock, but he is also determined to show what he can do on the cobbles and keep developing as a lead-out man. “I’m excited to get stuck in again. I want to start the Classics strongly,” he explains, with the spring targets clearly in mind. “But lead-outs will be fun too, with Ben sprinting better than ever — and of course Sam Welsford.”

Still, it may be the cobbled Classics where Tarling’s biggest ambitions sit. He might rack up more wins in time trials, but on the pavé he wants to prove he belongs. “I hope to do it a lot better than last year,” he says. “I hope everything goes well, that I’m in the right place — and then we’ll see how far we can get. I’ve got high expectations and a lot of hope. It’s going to be really fun.”

Later in the year comes the final major target: the World Championships time trial in Montréal. There, Tarling hopes he can finally put real pressure on Remco Evenepoel. “I really like it,” he says of the course. “It’s quite technical, which suits me. That roundabout didn’t really go well… but it looks a bit like the Olympics, only slightly tougher. And the finish is twisty — that’ll be fun.”