news-engine

‘I needed to distract myself’: Josh Tarling produces emotional Vuelta podium after devastating week A week after the death of his younger brother Finlay, Josh Tarling returned to racing at the Vuelta a España. In Monaco, he came within four seconds of the red jersey, finishing third in the opening time trial and taking the young riders jersey. Josh Tarling had every reason not to be in Monaco on Saturday. Eight days earlier, his younger brother Finlay had died following a crash at the Volta a Portugal. Finlay was 19. Yet Tarling chose to start the Vuelta a España, with the support of his family, and came close of winning the opening time trial. “I needed to distract myself,” Tarling said after the stage. “Thanks to my family for giving me the blessing to come here and just do another bike race.” For just over 11 minutes, racing gave him exactly that. Tarling was fastest at the intermediate check and then set the best time at the finish, taking a place in the hotseat after covering the 9.4 kilometres through Monaco in 11 minutes and one second. “I’m super happy, as happy as I can be,” he said. “I gave everything I had. I can’t do much more.” His time stood until Ethan Hayter went faster, before Tadej Pogačar produced the winning ride. Tarling eventually finished third, four seconds behind Pogačar, and took the young riders jersey. Later, speaking to Eurosport after the podium ceremony, Tarling again kept his response brief. He said he was happy to have something else occupying his mind after the events of the previous week. His team viewed his return in much the same way. “For a start, it’s just great to have him here,” Geraint Thomas, the team’s Director of Racing, said after the stage. “He was really keen to ride. He just wanted to get back to the day job, so to speak, and find comfort just in the process and being around the team and everything being as normal as possible.” Given what Tarling had been through in the previous week, Thomas admitted the performance itself was difficult to comprehend. “Yesterday was probably the first time he’s ridden the bike properly in a while, so to still put that in is insane, really,” he said. But for Thomas, the result was about more than the four seconds that separated Tarling from victory. “It just shows the class of him as an athlete and a person,” Thomas said. “We couldn’t be prouder.” That same pride was expressed by Michael and Dawn Tarling after the stage. “We are so proud of this kid,” his parents wrote on social media. They said that simply seeing Josh take the start after everything the family had experienced had already meant an enormous amount. Finishing third and taking the white jersey went far beyond anything they had expected. “It’s a long road ahead both at the Vuelta and away from it but we’ll get through it as a family together,” they wrote. Their reaction echoed the message they had shared when Josh’s participation in the Vuelta was confirmed. Finlay, they said, had been enormously proud of his older brother and would watch his races with complete enthusiasm, “nose to the TV and shouting as he competed”. Racing the Vuelta was therefore Josh’s decision, but one his family felt honoured the relationship between the brothers. There was also a small gesture after the race that captured the emotion of the evening. Around the podium ceremony, Tadej Pogačar sought out Tarling, embracing him before the two spoke briefly together. For a moment, the result seemed secondary. Pogačar later revealed that he had seen Tarling leading before his own start and found himself hoping the Welshman might hold on for the victory. The Slovenian still raced to win, but admitted there had been conflicting emotions as he prepared for his effort. “I really wished he would win today,” Pogačar said. “Of course I was going to give my best, but it was kind of a strange moment. I was really rooting for Josh as well.” Race result: 2026 Vuelta a España - Stage 1 Join our WhatsApp service Be first to know. Subscribe to Domestique on WhatsApp for free and stay up to date with all the latest from the world of cycling.