Josh Tarling delivered a statement ride as the 19-year-old won bronze in the men’s time trial at the UCI Cycling World Championships in Stirling.
Tarling took his place on the podium alongside Belgian Remco Evenepoel – who lost his road world title this week but has replaced it with the time trial crown – and Tarling’s Ineos Grenadiers team-mate Filippo Ganna, who had already won gold and silver on the track at these championships.
Geraint Thomas could only manage 10th on the day as the 37-year-old gears up for the Vuelta a Espana, but there was the dawn of a new era as his young team-mate and fellow Welshman announced his talent on the world stage.
“He’s a big boy,” Thomas said of Tarling. “He’s got power and this is his forte. It’s unbelievable to see him riding so well so early in his career and he’s got a bright future.”
Last year Tarling, who hails from Aberaeron, took the junior world title, then in June stormed his way to the British national title.
As he did then, Tarling said he would ride in Stirling at the elite level, believing it would be unfair to remain in the under-23 category given the backing he receives from Ineos, with whom he signed a three-year contract in the winter. Once again his result justified that view.
Evenepoel powered his way up the final climb to Stirling Castle, bouncing over the cobbles, to edge out Ganna by 12 seconds, winning in a time of 55 minutes 19.23 seconds over the 47.8km distance. Remarkably, the 23-year-old became the first Belgian to win the elite time trial world title.
Tarling was 48 seconds off Evenepoel’s place but more than 30 seconds clear of Brandon McNulty in fourth.
Thomas admitted he had an off day and was left with “no place to hide” on the roads of central Scotland, with Evenepoel quickly making up the 80-second gap between their start times to overtake him on the road.
“I tried to start a bit conservatively,” Thomas said. “I didn’t think I started that slow and when Remco came past like I thought, ‘Holy s***, this is not the best’.
“It was a combo of not having the best day, holding back a bit and Remco flying and then it kind of cracked me. I thought ‘I’m not in the running here’ which is hard. I kind of kept going, it is what it is. It’s a shame, I would have liked to have gone well in a home worlds but that’s bike racing.”
But Thomas, second in the Giro d’Italia in May after losing pink on the mountainous penultimate day time trial, said his showing here did not reflect his preparations for the Vuelta, which starts in Barcelona on August 26.
“I haven’t done too many one-off time trials,” he said. “I think I can count on one hand how many I’ve done and when you get into the thick of a stage race it’s slightly different.
“Obviously it would have been nice to have a better ride, a boost for the confidence, but I’m used to having a few ups and downs. So stay positive, focused. I won’t read too much into it. I’ll go back up to altitude tomorrow with the boys and keep pushing.”
Llori Sharpe claims historic gold for Jamaica at the 2024 Elite Caribbean Cycling Championships
Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) donates JMD$1 million to Jamaica Cycling Federation for equipment upgrade
The Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) has made a significant contribution to the development of cycling in Jamaica by donating JMD$1 million to the Jamaica Cycling Federation. The grant, aimed at boosting the sport’s progress, was used to purchase vital racing and training equipment, including state-of-the-art smart trainers.
The Jamaica Cycling Federation expressed its gratitude for the financial assistance, highlighting the importance of this investment in elevating the sport’s standards. Smart trainers have become increasingly popular in cycling programs worldwide due to their advanced capabilities, which are integral to modern training methods.
“These smart trainers are game changers,” said a spokesperson for the Federation. “They allow riders and coaches to approach training in a more scientific manner, offering features like measuring and tracking energy output, simulating race routes, and even enabling coaches to remotely access training data.”
This technological upgrade not only enhances training efficiency but also opens up new possibilities for coaches to closely monitor and optimize athletes' performance. The equipment's ability to simulate real-world racing conditions and provide accurate data on rider performance will help Jamaica’s cyclists prepare for international competition with cutting-edge tools.
The JOA's donation represents its ongoing commitment to supporting the development of underrepresented sports in Jamaica. “This contribution from the JOA is truly appreciated and confirms the continued support for the growth and development of sports like cycling,” the Federation said.
The equipment is expected to help Jamaica’s cyclists better prepare for regional and international competitions, as the nation continues to push for excellence across various sporting disciplines.
Dream on: Paul urges young T&T cyclists to keep pushing for Olympic feat as 2028 LA Games in sight
While looking ahead to possibly making another Olympic Games appearance in 2028 in Los Angeles, Trinidad and Tobago’s cycling stalwart, Nicholas Paul, is also hopeful that he will be able to share that occasion with a few more riders from the twin island republic.
Well aware of the depth of the talent that Trinidad and Tobago possesses, Paul, who relished a second-consecutive Olympic Games appearance at the just-concluded Paris showpiece, believes it is very much possible for those cyclists to also achieve their dreams of competing at the global multi-sport event.
The decorated Paul, who has numerous championship medals under his belt, and Kwesi Browne represented Trinidad and Tobago with much gusto and pride in Paris, as they gave their all on the track in both the sprint and keirin events, though both failed to make the finals.
“Team sprint, sprint, Keirin, team pursuit, I just want as many cyclists as possible to be able to make it on the Olympic stage,” Paul told the Express.
“It’s a big, big, big pool of talented young cyclists coming up. I have been trying to be a good role model for them, to let them know that they can come out here because the dream is possible. You just have to work hard. We can make a good driving force from juniors straight up to the elite,” he added.
Having contested both the Sprint and Keirin quarterfinals in Paris, Paul expressed an even deeper desire to improve his standards going forward, especially after watching Australian Matthew Richardson and Dutchman Harrie Lavreysen erase his previous world record of 9.100 in the flying 200 metres.
Lavreysen stopped the clock at 9.088 seconds, mere minutes after Richardson clocked 9.091 seconds.
“It (the quarterfinals) was not the outcome I wanted, but you live, you learn, and you come again. But I’m happy for Harrie. That was a great ride, and at the same time, it’s giving me more hunger to get back on that length to be able to break the world record and get that fast again,” Paul noted.
However, for now, the 25-year-old pointed out that the focus is on rest and recovery ahead of his next major assignment, the UCI Track World Championships scheduled for October 16-20 in Denmark.
“I think I’ll back off a bit, have a bit of a rest, and then go into Worlds. I’m really hungry, but at the same time, the build was until Paris. It was a bit stressful, so I have to ease off and then go into Worlds with as much form as possible,” Paul said.
On that note, Paul also expressed gratitude for the support from Trinidad and Tobago’s sporting enthusiasts, though some comments were not welcoming of the athletes’ overall efforts in Paris.
“I never think about the negatives because we could only work with the positives, and we have a lot of positives to work with. Moving forward, us athletes should come together and try to make Trinidad and Tobago better as a whole. Athletics, cycling, and every sport; to raise the level not only in Trinidad and Tobago, but in the Caribbean,” he ended.
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