Josh Tarling is optimistic about the way forward for his Ineos Grenadiers staff regardless of their disappointing 2024 marketing campaign, main modifications within the staff construction and tensions round Tom Pidcock’s function as a staff chief.
The squad have rung within the modifications for 2025 with six riders and a swathe of latest workers members becoming a member of the staff as key backroom members together with Steve Cummings, Xabier Artexte, and Dan Bigham head elsewhere.
Ineos Grenadiers completed seventh within the UCI rankings in 2024 however with simply 14 wins, throughout a season which noticed third place on the Giro d’Italia their finest Grand Tour consequence.
Talking at Rouleur Live in London, Tarling admitted that “quite a bit has modified” at Ineos through the low season and insisted it was “thrilling” to consider the problem of getting again to the highest of the game.
“It’s not damaged. It’s a staff, isn’t it? It’s not prefer it’s an object,” Tarling mentioned, displaying his loyalty to the staff.
“I re-signed not way back, and I feel to leap ship on a staff when it’s perhaps not the place we need to be is like giving up, isn’t it?
“I feel that they’ve modified a load of stuff and there’s a load of latest folks coming in. Everybody’s making an attempt; the mentality is completely different and the teaching’s completely different.
“I feel it’s extra thrilling – I don’t suppose we should always surrender. Issues can solely go up. It’d be good to be part of that in turning it round and simply get pleasure from coming again.”
This season, 20-year-old Tarling contributed to the to Ineos success with time trial wins at O Gran Camiño and the British Nationwide Championships. He additionally scored fourth place within the time trials on the Olympic Video games and World Championships and is likely one of the big-name riders for the longer term.
He mentioned that the Classics could be a serious purpose for him in 2025 and famous that “with a couple of modifications” your complete staff can get again to profitable methods.
“I’ve all the time loved racing greater than the TTs. I actually need to consider the Classics. Personally, Paris-Roubaix could be the most important purpose for me,” he mentioned.
“I joined a staff with all these winners. These races are so onerous to win, and also you get good luck and unhealthy luck. We’ve had a tough patch, however we’ve received all of the instruments and gear and riders and there’s no purpose why subsequent yr with a couple of modifications it’ll be class.”
Tarling dismissed discuss of any strain, exterior or inner, on the squad, as a substitute framing it as all people at Ineos ‘wanting’ to succeed.
The purpose is to return among the many finest groups on the earth as rapidly as attainable.
“There’s not loads of strain, you already know? It’s extra ‘need’. No person’s pressured to get higher as a result of all people desires to be there and get again to profitable,” he mentioned.
“Nobody is trying too far ahead, just like the Olympics in 2028, all people is taking a look at subsequent yr – the primary race, to win it.
“It’s onerous to get your head round coaching for 2028 whenever you’re coaching for the Classics subsequent yr. There’s a lot occurring. In comparison with now and the beginning of subsequent yr in Australia, there’s a lot taking place.”
