Time Trials The Target As Josh Tarling Handed Grand Tour Debut

By Ian Gordon

Josh Tarling will make his Grand Tour debut when the Vuelta a Espana begins on Saturday – and a maiden leader’s jersey well within sight.

The 20-year-old’s bow in one of cycling’s three major Tours comes just a couple of weeks after he agonisingly missed out on an Olympic medal by little over two seconds with a puncture in Paris.

Tarling’s INEOS Grenadiers team are confident the Welsh star will start favourite for one of the two Individual Time Trials on this year’s Vuelta.

The Vuelta starts on Saturday with a 12km blast against the clock in Lisbon, Portugal, before it comes to a climax with another ITT in Madrid on September 8.

“There is a big opportunity for us to take the leader’s jersey on stage one with Josh,” Performance Director Scott Drawer said.

“He demonstrated yet again at the Paris Olympics, just how strong he is in the TT discipline.”

Tarling will be part of an eight strong line-up that will have Carlos Rodriguez and Thymen Arensman as co-leaders.

Scott Drawer, Performance Director: “We are entering the Vuelta a España with a strong, highly competitive and well-balanced team.

“We want to be aggressive and seize opportunities as they arise – whether that’s taking time on the GC with Carlos and Thymen, or stage wins with riders like Josh and Jhony.

“This is a young and dynamic team that has strength and potential to challenge for the GC, as well as target stage wins across a variety of terrains.

“The Vuelta is probably one of the most unpredictable Grand Tours because of the route, the heat and the time in the season, so it always provides good racing. The riders and the whole team are ready to get stuck in and give it everything they’ve got.”

Thymen Arensman (24), Netherlands – for the fifth year running, the young Dutch GC contender lines up to race the Vuelta a España. Having taken sixth place at the Giro this year whilst supporting Geraint Thomas, he now takes aim at leadership for the team at his second Grand Tour of the season.

Kim Heiduk (24), Germany – starting at the Vuelta for the second time, the young German will be alongside Josh Tarling to help support the leaders over the flatter terrain.

Jhonatan Narváez (27), Ecuador – the winner of the first stage of this year’s Giro d’Italia, the Ecuadorian will support the GC riders while also having the freedom to use his powerful attacking style to target stage wins.

Laurens de Plus (28), Belgium – as one of the peloton’s best support riders in the high mountains, Laurens will be invaluable for the GC contenders on the hardest mountain stages. He finished 10th at the Giro d’Italia in 2023, 15tth at this year’s Tour de France and fifth overall at the Criterium du Dauphine.

Brandon Rivera (28), Colombia – coming into the race off the back of a stage win at the Tour of Austria and taking second overall on GC, the ever-committed teammate will be there to support the two leaders as well look for opportunities to hunt a stage win.

Carlos Rodríguez (23), Spain – following a solid performance at the Tour de France, which saw the young Spaniard finish seventh despite battling illness, Carlos continues to impress and will be aiming to challenge overall as our co-leader.

Josh Tarling (20), Great Britain – the young Brit makes his Grand Tour debut at La Vuelta and will be one of the favourites to take wins in the two time trials on the first and last stages. His palmares within this discipline speaks for itself, lining up as the current European time trial champion as well as national time trial champion in 2023 and 2024.

Oscar Rodríguez (29), Spain – this will be Oscar’s first participation in a Grand Tour for the INEOS Grenadiers and he will play an invaluable support role in the high mountains where he is naturally strong.