"It was a decision that was made on the road and it’s done" - Steaming Ian Stannard on Joshua Tarling's Paris-Roubaix disqualification
Cycling
Ian Stannard was one of the most experienced cobbled classics riders in the peloton and nowadays he leads INEOS Grenadiers in the team car. However, a poor decision at Paris-Roubaix saw the team's young prospect Joshua Tarling get disqualified, and Stannard was not pleased with the situation.
Tarling's aspirations for a result were realistic, taking into consideration his sixth spot at Dwars door Vlaanderen and the Top20 at the much tougher and hillier Tour of Flanders. The European time-trial champion started Roubaix as a dangerous outsider as his physique is well suited to the race, and he himself started the event with a massive 62-tooth chainring.
However the race did not go his way. He was involved, albeit just slightly in the mass crash that took place in the opening hour of the race, but then with around 140 kilometers to go had a bike change and was distanced from the peloton with no convoy inbetween. The gap could not be closed by himself, but the poor decision was made for Tarling to get an extended tow - or 'sticky bottle' - from the INEOS Grenadiers car where Stannard was in. A few kilometers later, Tarling was disqualified and visibly angry.
"It was a decision that was made on the road and it’s done. There we are. It's just a racing circumstance and that’s it," Stannard said in words to GCN and Cyclingnews. "It’s a racing circumstance. He’s had a bike change and that’s it. You’re not getting any more from me." The team missed out on a result this Sunday; Tom Pidcock was present in the front groups but ultimately rode to a 17th place on the day.
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- 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
- And we, what are we doing?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- And yet, it attracts people, even you. What’s more, it attracts the rival fanboys to fill cyberspace with endless pointless my hero is better than your hero blabla that’s all been heard before and only helps sell the site as an advertising platform. You know what the solution is but most can’t resist. No different than women who follow and discuss celebs through gossip magazines.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- he is doing 460 watts for 35 min to achieve 7 w/kg with VO2 at 96 , just unreal numbers.abstractengineer08-11-2026
- Just do it, and put up with the consequencesJumpyjohn08-11-2026
- "was a headliner at the Tour de France" Nobody cared about Piddie. Only rivals that were there for Pogi, Jonas, Remco, Sexias, Lipo, Del Toro and they were all expected to lose. Piddie was not even in any conversation.abstractengineer08-11-2026
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This is how Josh Tarling got himself DSQed today - too much sticky action at speed to get back in after a puncture I've seen those not given as long as you're not overtaking someone #ParisRoubaix
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