2 days Ago By [email protected]
Image 1 of 3Josh Tarling (Ineos Grenadiers) (Image credit: Getty Images)Image 2 of 3Stefan Bissegger (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) (Image credit: Getty Images)Image 3 of 3Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) (Image credit: Getty Images)Josh Tarling (Ineos Grenadiers) came out on top in the stage 2 time trial at the UAE Tour. The 21-year-old sped through the 12.2km flat course at an average speed of 56.
671kph to claim his first victory of the 2025 season and with it the leader's jersey.Tarling was fastest at the day's single intermediate checkpoint and at the finish, setting a time of 12:55 at the line. He beat Stefan Bissegger (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) into second place by 13 seconds, while Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) rounded out the podium in third place at 18 seconds down.
Race leader and stage 1 winner Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) was the last man home. The Italian finished 49th at the finish line, 1:13 down, to hand over the red jersey to Tarling. "From the end of last year, I had a bit of bad luck and kept coming into TTs with Remco and so, yeah, I needed this.
I'm super happy," Tarling said after the finish."I think over the end of the winter we went to Teide with the team and with Kwiato yesterday [winning the Clásica Jaén – Ed.], we have a super-good mindset.
He got the ball rolling for us and I was trying to be confident."It was really windy. The first part was really a headwind and then there was a long crosswind section.
The first part was the hardest and then we got a bit of respite with the corners towards the end, so it was kind of two halves."Hopefully I get a bit of confidence back now, and I'm excited for the rest."Tarling's victory sees him take over the top of the general classification heading into stage 3's summit finish at Jebel Jais.
He now leads Bissegger by 13 seconds and Pogačar, the race favourite, by 18 seconds. Tarling also leads the points and youth classifications, while Manuele Tarozzi (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè) remains in the black jersey as sprints leader.More to come.
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