Amid their struggles in recent times, Ineos Grenadiers stay the highest division workforce with the longest WorldTour win drought, with their final victory at WT-level coming by means of Carlos Rodríguez on the Critérium du Dauphiné again in June. However, because the second males’s WorldTour stage race of the season kicks off within the UAE, they’ve an excellent probability to finish that winless run.
21-year-old British nationwide TT champion Josh Tarling might be one of many heavy favourites for the stage 2 stage trial on Al Hudayriyat Island in Abu Dhabi, and the Welshman is raring to get himself and the workforce again within the wins.
While he established himself as one of many best possible time trial riders on the planet in 2023, Tarling missed out on a number of of his huge objectives in his second skilled season final yr, with a puncture ruining his Olympic desires and the World Championships equally ending with him in fourth.
His confidence took successful, regardless of his skills and clear potential to grow to be one of many sport’s high stars. With a contemporary begin in 2025, a win on stage 2 is just not solely one thing the workforce desires however it’s a victory that he believes he requires.
“I’m going to go all in,” Tarling informed Cyclingnews earlier than stage 1 in Madinat Zayed. “I need it. I want it, and I feel the workforce does as effectively so we’re all in.
“For the workforce, it’s going to get issues rolling and for me as effectively, I want to be in a bit higher of a spot, however I feel I want a win after combating the arrogance.”
Egan Bernal technically ended the winless drought for Ineos at any stage with a double victory on the Colombian Championships earlier this month, nonetheless, the British workforce solely simply managed their first victory exterior of nationwide titles for the reason that Tour of Austria final July at present by means of Michał Kwiatkowski on the Clásica Jaén.
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And though the Spanish one-day occasion is rising in measurement and welcomes a robust area together with a number of WorldTour groups to its gravel roads, the Clásica Jaén remains to be solely a 1.1 occasion.
Sports director Oli Cookson additionally admitted that stage 2 is “undoubtedly” the perfect probability to convey Ineos their first WorldTour win for over 250 days. But he additionally ensured to not underestimate the sector within the UAE, with specialists resembling Stefan Bissegger (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) and, in fact, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Emirates-XRG) additionally being challengers for the time trial victory.
“There’s clearly another actually good time triallists right here so we all know what aiming for,” stated Cookson to Cyclingnews at first of stage 1. “We’re assured and we’re supporting him totally.
“There are different favourites right here as effectively and it is by no means simple to win any race, whether or not or not it’s WorldTour or not, however we’re up for tomorrow and we’ll give it our greatest shot and so will Josh.”
Tarling arrived within the UAE the day earlier than his twenty first birthday on February 15 but additionally off the again of a powerful season debut on the GP La Marseillaise and a stunted second race at Etoile de Bessèges after Ineos have been one of many groups to tug out as a result of security considerations.
“I feel it has been a good begin, I’m pleased. I used to be happier in Marseille than I used to be in Bessèges, however I feel I’m getting there,” stated Tarling.
“This time final yr he received in O Gran Camiño and I feel he is had a great winter, he is in a great place which we noticed in Marseille after which clearly he did not get to race the TT in Bessèges,” agreed Cookson, with the workforce’s different focus for the week being on Carlos Rodríguez’s GC ambitions.
“It’s an ideal race for Carlos with a bit of warmth and the chance to additionally get a flat WorldTour time trial in,” continued the DS. “We’ll see how he’s on the climbing day days in opposition to a few of the finest riders on the planet, together with the world champion.”
Without a sprinter on their seven-man roster, the uphill dash end on stage 1 was only a day of survival for Ineos, with Tarling and Rodríguez importantly coming dwelling within the Jonathan Milan-led bunch.
Tarling would be the second Ineos rider off the beginning ramp in tomorrow’s time trial at 13:30, with lots of the specialists and GC riders together with Pogačar additionally set to start out in the course of the early window to capitalise on the altering wind situations.
Milan will attempt to defend the jersey as a more-than-capable ITT rider. However, if Tarling has re-found a few of his high form from 2023 and refreshed from the disappointments of final season, it might see him rating his second WorldTour victory, the workforce’s first since June and transfer him into the race chief’s purple jersey.
And with the momentum of Kwiatkowski’s solo triumph and a doable second day in a row of success by means of Tarling, this might be the beginning of the workforce’s climb again to the higher echelons of professional biking.