In a thrilling turn of events at the Giro d’Italia, British cyclist Joshua Tarling clinched victory in the individual time trial of the event’s second stage, narrowly defeating pre-race favorite Primoz Roglic by just one second. This intense competition unfolded in the heart of Tirana, Albania, as Tarling completed the 14-kilometer (8.5-mile) course in a notable time of 16 minutes and seven seconds.
The tension in the air was palpable as Tarling, representing Ineos Grenadiers, watched each of the subsequent 58 competitors tackle the course, hoping his time would remain unbeaten. The anxiety peaked as Roglic crossed the finish line, a mere second behind Tarling’s pace, much to the latter’s relief. “It’s not nice, I don’t want to do it again,” Tarling joked about the nerve-wracking wait. Reflecting on his performance and the anxiety of the watch, he added, “Primoz really scared me, so yeah, it was stressful there.”
For Tarling, this triumph was monumental; it marked his first career victory at a Grand Tour stage and cemented his status as the youngest cyclist to win a Giro time trial at the age of 21. Overwhelmed with joy, he shared, “I can’t believe it to be honest. I’ve been trying and I’m so happy.” Jay Vine finished third, trailing Tarling by three seconds.
Despite narrowly missing the stage victory, Roglic took over the overall lead and donned the pink jersey, his margin over Mads Pedersen standing at just one second. Commenting on the day’s outcome, Roglic remarked, “It’s like a beautiful surprise. You know you are strong, but you don’t know how fast everyone else will go. At the end was really close today, one second off, so really, really happy about it.” Mathias Vacek now occupies third place in the overall standings, lagging Roglic by five seconds.
Sunday’s third stage remains within Albania, foreseeing a challenging 160-kilometer (99-mile) ride in the coastal city of Vlore. Located across the Adriatic Sea from Italy’s Puglia region, the race resumes there after a day’s pause. The Giro will ultimately conclude its journey on June 1, when riders roll into Rome.
Regarding his early acquisition of the pink jersey, Roglic maintained perspective, saying, “For me, it doesn’t change the plan overall much. The plan is to have it on while arriving in Rome.” Acknowledging Pedersen’s capabilities, he noted, “Pedersen, for tomorrow is a good stage again for him. So we will see what will happen. Probably they will take it back.”