British teenagers Josh Tarling and Ben Wiggins claimed medals in the men’s time trial disciplines at the world championships as Remco Evenepoel became the first Belgian rider to win the elite men’s world title.
Tarling, a first-year professional, stunned his peers by occupying the leader’s hot seat for most of the afternoon until Evenepoel, the 2022 world road race champion, and the Italian time-trial specialist Filippo Ganna proved quicker on the 47.8km course around Stirling.
“It’s a bit crazy,” Tarling said of his bronze medal. “It was about setting a good pace into the headwind. This last climb is horrible. I thought when you turn left, you’re nearly there, but then it’s like: ‘Woah, you’re up in the clouds.’”
The steep final kilometre to Stirling Castle, most of it on lumpy cobbles, was the making of Evenepoel’s ride, who admitted that his pacing strategy had been to throw his all into the final decisive climb.
The 23-year-old Vuelta a España champion is currently the hottest property in the sport and continues to be connected with a move to Tarling and Ganna’s Ineos Grenadiers team.
“Next question,” Evenepoel, who is about to defend his Vuelta title, responded when asked about the latest speculation connecting him to the British team. “If I have to listen to this shit for three weeks, it’s going to be a very long Vuelta,” he elaborated.
Afterwards, Geraint Thomas, who finished 10th, praised teammate Tarling. “He’s a big boy,” the 2018 Tour de France winner said. “He’s got power and this is his forte. It’s unbelievable to see him riding so well so early in his career and he’s got a bright future.”
Earlier in the day, Wiggins took the silver medal in the junior individual time-trial. Watched by his famous father Bradley, Wiggins finished just under half a minute behind Oscar Chamberlain of Australia and was 10 seconds quicker than Louis Leidert of Germany. “To get a medal at my first world championships, it can’t get much better,” he said.
Wiggins has one of the most famous names in the history of cycling but seems indifferent to the media interest in him. “I’ve dealt with it pretty much my whole life, so I don’t think anything that comes is new,” he said. “I just keep rolling.
“I was seven when my dad won the Tour,” he added. “Pretty much after that, he was probably the most famous man in Britain. When you’ve got people camping outside your house and stuff, this is nothing compared to that.”
Asked if he felt able to cope with his growing profile, Wiggins said: “Having to miss days of school because we couldn’t get out – anything that comes now, unless it’s worse than that, I’m sure I can deal with it.
“Since I’ve been a junior, there’s been a lot of attention. I’ve started to win races and do better myself, which means more and more attention. But I’ve taken it in my stride. There have been a few times when it’s been quite hard. But I’ve backed up the hype.”
Meanwhile, 22-year-old Charlie Aldridge from Perth, a former junior world title holder, took the gold medal in the under-23 men’s cross country. “To win at home with friends and family is something else,” he said. “I was very nervous to be fair and then as soon as I was on the startline, it was: ‘Don’t stress, just do the best you can.’”
