Tarling third in Vuelta opener after brother's death

Josh Tarling at the Vuelta a Espana — Image caption,
Tarling has won a stage of the Giro d'Italia and the European time trial title.

Matt Warwick

BBC Sport senior journalist

1 hour ago

Britain's Josh Tarling finished third in the opening stage of the Vuelta a Espana - just eight days after his brother Finlay lost his life in a crash.

The 22-year-old Netcompany Ineos rider decided himself to take part in the three-week Grand Tour and was rewarded with a strong performance on a tight and technical course around the principality of Monaco.

Fin, 19, died in a high-speed collision with a van which had strayed on to the road during the eighth stage of the Volta a Portugal last Friday.

UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider Tadej Pogacar, the overwhelming favourite for overall victory, won the stage by just nine hundredths of a second from another Briton, Ethan Hayter of Soudal-Quick Step.

Tarling was just four seconds down on five-time Tour de France winner Pogacar, who hugged the Welshman before the podium presentation to show his support.

Fellow Welshman and Netcompany Ineos' racing director Geraint Thomas said afterwards: "It's been great to have him here - he was really keen to ride and wanted to get back to the day job and find comfort in the process and be around the team to be a normal as possible.

"It's great to have him here, it's been unimaginable what he's gone through this last week or so.

"To put in a performance like that at the end of the week or so is just fantastic and shows the class of him as person and an athlete, so couldn't be prouder.

"I think the course suited him technically - he's one of the best and yesterday was probably the first time he's ridden a bike properly in a while, so to still put that in is insane, really.

"We'll just continue to be normal around him now and support as best we can."

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A glamorous setting and a respectful mood

The first stage of this race began in the glamorous setting of Monaco with the starting ramp at the famous Casino Monte Carlo spitting riders out on to a twisty course which went through a circus and around the F1's circuit's famous swimming pool section.

It was exactly the kind of setting riders at the top of the sport are treated to in cycling's biggest races, and an environment in which Fin Tarling was sure become an ever-present before tragedy struck.

The Tarlings lost another family member this week too in the brothers' grandfather.

The mood among riders was respectful - as the whole sport recognises the pain of the peloton's loss and the need to push for greater safety in races.

Third place in Tarling's strongest discipline, in which he has won a stage of the Giro d'Italia and the European Championship, demonstrated his strength and determination.

Netcompany will be led by Tarling to decide if he wants to continue and see out three gruelling weeks of sprints and mountainous climbs around southern Spain.

But another time trial on stage 18 could give him the chance for victory when hot favourite and joint most successful Tour de France winner Pogacar, 27, could be riding for percentages. The Slovenian will be trying to win the red jersey overall - and with it the accolade of winning all three Grand Tours in the sport, along with most of the sport's biggest one-day races.

Tarling now wears the white fastest young rider's jersey on stage two, which is a 214.3km hilly race to Manosque in Provence.

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Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
The Casino Monte Carlo was the setting for the start
Image source, Getty Images
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Pogacar took the overall leader's red jersey
Image source, Getty Images
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Tarling's strongest disipline on the bike is time trial
Image source, Getty Images
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Those on Monaco's harbour enjoyed a much quieter sport on wheels from which they are used to
Image source, Getty Images
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Hayter's performance, top, and Callum Thornley's ride meant there were three Britons in the top four positions

Vuelta a Espana stage one results

Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 10mins 57secs

Ethan Hayter (GB/Soudal Quick-Step) +0.09secs

Joshua Tarling (GB/Netcompany-Ineos) +4secs

Callum Thornley (GB/Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +5secs

Christophe Laporte (Fra/Team Visma-Lease a Bike) +6secs

Oscar Chamberlain (Aus/Decathlon-CMA CGM) +8secs

Leo Bisiaux (Fra/Decathlon-CMA CGM) +9secs

Wout van Aert (Bel/Team Visma-Lease a Bike) same time

Finn Fisher-Black (NZ/Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +10secs

Arthur Kluckers (Lux/Tudor Pro Cycling) +11secs

Vuelta a Espana general classification after stage one