Competing despite his brother’s death, Tarling delivered a blistering time of his own to be well in contention for stage honours.<\/p>\n
As it happened, Soudal Quick-Step’s Hayter finished four seconds faster than his grieving compatriot, with Poga\u010dar pipping them both, before saying it would have been fitting had Tarling claimed victory.<\/p>\n
“When I was going to the start line, I saw that Josh has the best time and, I really wish he wins today,” Poga\u010dar said at the finish.<\/p>\n
“For sure I would do my best, but it was also this kind of strange moment. I was really rooting, myself, for Josh.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“Then I came to the intermediate [time check] and I hear a different name [over the radio], I hear Ethan Hayter was ahead of me by three seconds and I say, ‘OK, I give it my all but no risks’ and then we’ll see what happens.<\/p>\n
“I would really like to see Josh do well at this Vuelta.”<\/p>\n
Tarling’s Netcompany INEOS director sportif Geraint Thomas was also full of praise for Tarling.<\/p>\n
“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,” fellow Welshman Thomas said.<\/p>\n
“It’s been unimaginable what he’s gone through this last week or so.<\/p>\n
![\"Josh](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ea3ae6361b1d0c2cd70a05db5ca3c17d.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Josh Tarling was awarded the white jersey as the race’s Most Combative Rider after the first stage. (Getty Images: Tim de Waele)<\/p>\n
“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 [we] couldn’t be prouder.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
“We’ll just continue to be normal around him now and support as best we can.”<\/p>\n
Tarling’s parents, Michael and Dawn, had both given their eldest son their blessing to compete at the Vuelta, saying it was what his brother would have wanted.<\/p>\n
“Finlay was so incredibly proud of his big brother, and would be watching, nose to the TV and shouting as he competed,” they wrote in a post on social media.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“So it is right that Josh honours that love.”<\/p>\n
Tarling, for his part, said he was “super happy” with his performance.<\/p>\n
“I’m super happy, as happy as I can be,” he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“I needed to distract myself. Thanks to my family for giving me the blessing to come here and just do another bike race.”<\/p>\n
Poga\u010dar looking for history![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/eb4a310d39c4233ef3f65e74445cd1a7.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Tadej Poga\u010dar powers through the streets of Monaco to make the perfect start to the Spanish Vuelta. (Getty Images: Laurent Coust\/Europa Press)<\/p>\n
Poga\u010dar, who’s bidding to become just the ninth men’s rider to win all three Grand Tours in their career, put himself in position from the offset by completing the highly technical 9.5-kilometre course through the streets of Monaco \u2014 where he resides \u2014 in 10 minutes, 57 seconds.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Poga\u010dar is competing at the Vuelta for the first time since making his Grand Tour debut as a 20-year-old in the 2019 race. He won three stages and finished third, which incredibly is his worst overall result in the three-week events.<\/p>\n
This year is going much better, though.<\/p>\n