Tarling trembles, laughs and wins in Giro d'Italia: "I have to admit Primoz really scared me"

With this victory, Tarling becomes the youngest rider ever to win a time trial in the Giro d’Italia. Even he could barely believe it: “It’s unbelievable, I’m so incredibly happy. The wait was awful, I really hope I never have to do that again, haha.”

“For just thirteen kilometers, it felt like an incredibly long day,” the 21-year-old said with a grin. “There were so many big names who could have won this time trial, Wout, Mads, and of course Primoz. I have to admit, Primoz really scared me. It was a super stressful day.”

Tarling looks back on his time trial with a strong sense of satisfaction. “I’m really happy with my performance. The first part went really well and I had it under control. The climb was really tough, and the final section wasn’t easy either. It was harder than during recon, especially that last part, it really hurt.”

Because the INEOS Grenadiers rider didn’t finish in the front group yesterday, he missed out on taking the leader’s jersey. Still, he has no regrets. “I gave it everything yesterday, so I’m at peace with not getting the pink jersey. I’m mainly just incredibly proud of this win.”