Tarling takes third in Vuelta opener eight days after brother's death
Tadej Pogacar won the opening stage of the 2026 Vuelta a España, a 9.4-kilometre individual time trial around Monaco, beating Ethan Hayter by nine hundredths of a second. BBC Sport
Josh Tarling finished third, four seconds behind Pogacar. The result landed eight days after his younger brother Finlay, 19, died in a high-speed collision with a van that had strayed onto the road during the eighth stage of the Volta a Portugal. BBC Sport
Tarling, a 22-year-old riding for Netcompany Ineos, decided himself to take the start of the three-week race. The team confirmed the choice was his. BBC Sport
An individual time trial — where riders set off one by one against the clock rather than racing in a group — suited Tarling's strengths. He is a former winner of time trials at O Gran Camiño and the Giro d'Italia, where he claimed his first Grand Tour stage victory. This is his second Vuelta appearance after debuting in 2024, when he finished sixth in the opening stage.
Pogacar, riding for UAE Team Emirates-XRG, posted a time of 10 minutes 57 seconds. Hayter, of Soudal Quick-Step, finished on the identical time, the gap decided by hundredths. Callum Thornley (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) took fourth at five seconds, followed by Christophe Laporte (Visma-Lease a Bike) at six. La Vuelta
Léo Bisiaux (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) was sixth at eight seconds, with Andrew Oscar Chamberlain (Decathlon CMC CGM Team) and Wout Van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) seventh and eighth, both at nine seconds. Finn Fisher-Black (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) and Arthur Kluckers (Tudor Pro Cycling) rounded out the top ten. La Vuelta
What makes Tarling's ride stand out is the context. Eight days is barely long enough to bury a brother, let alone train for a Grand Tour. He lined up on the start ramp in Monaco and rode the course to a podium place.
The 2026 Vuelta route is one of the most demanding in recent memory, with seven summit finishes and over 58,000 metres of climbing packed into three weeks. After the Monaco time trial, the race heads south through Spain. Rouleur
Pogacar wears the first leader's jersey — the maillot rojo, the red jersey given to the overall race leader — with Hayter and Tarling within four seconds on the general classification, the overall standings that decide the final winner in Madrid.
