"I wasted my opportunity today" - Disappointment for Joshua Tarling as he misses out on Red Jersey in first ever Grand Tour stage at Vuelta a Espana
Cycling
Joshua Tarling came into his first ever Grand Tour stage as one of the favourites to take the Red Jersey at the 2024 Vuelta a Espana. Sadly for the Welshman of the INEOS Grenadiers however, he had to settle for sixth on the stage.
"It was terrible. I just felt so bad really," Tarling reflects honestly in his post-stage interview with Eurosport. "Not to take away from Edoardo Affini (leader at the time ed.), it was a really good ride, but I just felt flat. I struggled in the week between the Olympics and this, and yeah, I just felt like a brick."
In the end, as mentioned, it was 6th place for Tarling on the stage with UAE Team Emirates' Brandon McNulty moving into the first Red Jersey of the Spanish Grand Tour, with the American clocking a time 8 seconds quicker than Tarling's best efforts on the day.
"I honestly don't know why I was feeling like that, I was just feeling heavy," Tarling adds. "A bit lost really. Like I said, I struggled after the Olympics, head wise and training wise and yeah, I thought I was on it and confident today, but got going and sunk a bit. I wasted my opportunity today so I think I'm going to really try and step up for the team and help whoever I need to. With this wind and stuff, I can be a help, especially tomorrow along the coast."
No ego there and he really did not blow it. He is 20 years old and will have off days. He still has a lot to learn and he knows that.
To big of an ego, there are as good or better TT riders than him. His day will come but not just yet. Today was a perfect course for him and he blew it.
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- Is this a joke?Jkolner12316-03-2025
- He has declined leadership though in the past? Lack of confidence? Hedging your bets works sometimes, at other times it is better to commit and go in big.Cyclingsbestfan16-03-2025
- Pidcock is starting sound like a more mature rider. It may be the media reports when he was at ineos skewing things, but he starting to sound like a defferent person.Cyclingsbestfan16-03-2025
- Yep If he could just get some consistency going with his form, he would be a rider to be reckoned with in any gc race. As it is he blows hot and cold.Cyclingsbestfan16-03-2025
- I was watching the race live, and it seems like this crash could have been avoided. A pre-race course inspection and appropriate signage.yuckly16-03-2025
- Jonas won T-A last tear and wanted to do P-N this year. Jorgensen also wanted to do it, he declined every si gle opportunity to be a solo leader, eevry stage race Jonas doesn't do, Girovappaxbipmv16-03-2025
- I agree, he either needs a surprise attack in the final, win a sprint or just somehow overpower everyonevappaxbipmv16-03-2025
- Did old man Bruyneel make this point before Jonas crashed out?Renz16-03-2025
- Good win for Ayuso. He has appeared a bit inconsistent on mountain stages in the past; absolutely brilliant on some but then cracking on others.Cooldude16-03-2025
- A little caution is understandable. Just ask Roglic.Cooldude16-03-2025