Tarling is the new European time trial champion, after having achieved an outstanding third place in the World Championship of the same discipline. In addition, he was crowned British champion and won a stage in the Renewi Tour. These successes reflect the achievements accumulated in his years as a junior and under-23 cyclist, where his main calling card was always victory;
"Our goal is to dig deep into the race and have as many guys as possible in the final," Tarling described his ambition for the men's road race at the European Championships. Barely an hour after that conversation, he joined the breakaway, proving that his aspirations are backed up by his performance on the road. With powerful thighs and an innate talent, this young Welshman has much more to offer than time-trial victory. When compared to a similar type of rider, such as Filippo Ganna, Tarling smiles and adds, "There's no one like Pippo. But I am strong and love attacking."
Looking ahead to 2024, challenging races are on the horizon. They could include one-week stages with time trials, but Tarling is enthusiastic at the mention of the classics. This spring, he has already participated in five of them, although he only managed to complete the Brabantse Pijl. In Paris-Roubaix, the time was not enough for him, and in E3, Amstel Gold Race and Flèche Wallonne, he decided to withdraw early. "I always do well when the race is tougher. A classics type, yes," he explains.
Despite his youth, Tarling's mentor, Filippo Ganna, sees him as a competitor to watch out for in other races in the short term. "He's young, but has an extremely strong engine. He's one of the guys for the future. I'm not specifically focused on him as the young guys at INEOS can learn from many riders. His position on the bike is already very aerodynamic, so I might learn something from him," Ganna says of his teenage teammate. "He's a nice guy. I skipped the time trial because I was completely f*cked, haha! All those relocations and travel days take a toll, but it's part of the game. I preferred to recover a bit for Sunday's road race."
