Feeding problem hunts down Joshua Tarling at Paris-Roubaix: "I spent 4-5 days without being able to eat properly"
Cycling
At INEOS, Joshua Tarling has shown that he is much more than a time trialist. That's why he came to Paris-Roubaix 2025 with the illusion of achieving a great result. However, a food problem ruined his day.
Tarling finished the Hell of the North in 52nd position, 11:42 behind Mathieu van der Poel, a result that does not reflect the effort the INEOS Grenadiers rider has faced in recent classics.
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Speaking to Cyclingnews afterwards, Joshua Tarling explains how that food problem affected him when he was in a good position to fight for the top spots in the race:
"I was well positioned, but when the time came, I had no energy. That's the way it is," he confessed at the Roubaix velodrome. "I love this race. I know how to position myself in the peloton, but I lack the finishing touch when I'm in the right place. After Arenberg I felt strong, but suddenly I fell apart."
"I have difficulty eating, it's desperate," Tarling added about it. "After Across Flanders I got sick. I spent 4-5 days without being able to eat properly. I tried to regain energy and get back to racing, but I felt terrible all week."
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Tarling, a clean slate
Joshua Tarling has no choice but to look ahead. His next race will already be the Giro d'Italia 2025. The Corsa Rosa will start next May 9, in less than a month. The Briton will be one of the INEOS Grenadiers' protected riders in the race.
Despite the poor result in Roubaix, the team is having a great season. And yet they have had to deal with injuries to their two main stars, Egan Bernal and Carlos Rodriguez. Still, much is expected from INEOS in the Giro, where in addition to Tarling, Bernal will be a contender for the general classification.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - i did not see it. was the relegation justified or an overly hard decision? and don‘t cross riders deviate from straight lines all the time? bumping into each others when they cut corners, etc … why being more strict with the rules on the finish sprint?Ketterechts08-11-2026
- seems like we are advertising the website with pointless comments…Ketterechts08-11-2026
- So?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- The UCI do have their favorites.
Front24208-11-2026 - On a positive note, you maybe notice turning this topic into a discussion has the benefit of eliminating certain participants who do not see how they can turn it back to their sole interest ;-)Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- People see what they want to. I am actually the opposite of your accusation, probably more of a rebel than most of you who don’t get the big picture. The difference is, I don’t go moaning publicly about the consequences of my transgressions, I understand the need for rules and I take my OWN responsibility when deciding to ignore or break them or doing so involuntarily. I will also not hesitate to state my case or argue vehemently when relevant, sometimes it works, sometimes it makes things worse but that’s the price to pay for principles and having character.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- That may be but that was unknown to others and nothing says that’s the whole truth. Again, don’t try to misinterpret, it is a call and technically it is correct. Besides, even if there is a valid reason, that does not disqualify the ruling or punishment as far as the rules have been developed. I don’t think they’re as far as in football where for handball there is a distinction (in some ways and specific cases) between intentional or not. And football can be just as harsh and people live with it, eg the offside rule, also judged to within tiny fractions but often wrong or ignored. It’s the nature of every collective organisation and sometimes I wonder if our rebellion against it isn’t seated in the feelings we carry from the injustices we’ve felt personally, like being flashed driving 1km/h too fast when we are explained limits are just a security measure but we are absolutely certain not to have endangered anyone with our transgression. The problem is, nobody has better solutions and no 2 people have the same interpretation of where a limit should be.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- Because for you deviated implies the other rider MUST have been made to fall and fail to finish ??? I don’t know if you ride a bike but next time someone carves you up or drives dangerously close, just hold back from those feelings of changing something, reporting or filming or even complaining. Everyone will just say, hey you’re still here undamaged, doesn’t seem like anyone did anything.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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