Josh Tarling to ride the Vuelta a España after brother Finlay's death
Josh Tarling will line up at the Vuelta a España when the race begins on Saturday, less than two weeks after his younger brother Finlay died while competing in Portugal. BBC Sport
Finlay Tarling, 19, was killed during the eighth stage of the Volta a Portugal when a van strayed onto the road and collided with him at high speed. His NSN team withdrew from the race immediately afterwards. The Guardian
Josh, 22, is a time trial specialist — a discipline where riders race alone against the clock rather than in a group — and holds European and British time trial championship titles. He rides for Netcompany Ineos, formerly known as INEOS Grenadiers.
The decision to compete was Tarling's own, according to the team's director of racing, Geraint Thomas. Thomas said Netcompany Ineos fully supports him. BBC Sport
Tarling made his Grand Tour debut — a first appearance in one of cycling's three-week races — at last year's Vuelta, where he finished sixth on the opening stage before withdrawing from the race. This will be his second appearance at the event.
The Vuelta a España starts on 22 August in Monaco and finishes on 13 September, covering three weeks of racing across Spain and beyond. Netcompany Ineos has named an eight-man squad that also includes Thymen Arensman, Laurens De Plus, Kim Heiduk, Jhonatan Narvaez, Brandon Rivera, Oscar Rodriguez and Carlos Rodriguez.
Since Finlay Tarling's death, calls for improved rider safety have grown louder across the sport. Dutch sprinter Lorena Wiebes, who rides for SD Worx–Protime and won stage one of the Tour of Britain Women, is among those who have spoken out. BBC Sport
For Josh Tarling, lining up in Monaco means stepping back into competition while still grieving. The road from Monaco to Madrid, where the Vuelta finishes, runs to roughly 3,200 kilometres. That is a long way to ride with a heavy heart.
