Amid their struggles in recent years, Ineos Grenadiers remain the top division team with the longest WorldTour win drought, with their last victory at WT-level coming through Carlos Rodríguez at the Critérium du Dauphiné back in June. However, as the second men's WorldTour stage race of the season kicks off in the UAE, they have a great chance to end that winless run.
21-year-old British national TT champion Josh Tarling will be one of the heavy favourites for the stage 2 stage trial on Al Hudayriyat Island in Abu Dhabi, and the Welshman is eager to get himself and the team back in the wins.
While he established himself as one of the absolute best time trial riders in the world in 2023, Tarling missed out on several of his big goals in his second professional season last year, with a puncture ruining his Olympic dreams and the World Championships similarly ending with him in fourth.
His confidence took a hit, despite his talents and clear potential to become one of the sport's top stars. With a fresh start in 2025, a win on stage 2 is not only something the team wants but it's a victory that he believes he requires.
"I'm going to go all in," Tarling told Cyclingnews before stage 1 in Madinat Zayed. "I want it. I need it, and I think the team does as well so we're all in.
"For the team, it'll get things rolling and for me as well, I would like to be in a bit better of a place, but I think I need a win after struggling with the confidence."
Egan Bernal technically ended the winless drought for Ineos at any level with a double victory at the Colombian Championships earlier this month, however, the British team only just managed their first victory outside of national titles since the Tour of Austria last July today through Michał Kwiatkowski at the Clásica Jaén.
And although the Spanish one-day event is growing in size and welcomes a strong field including several WorldTour teams to its gravel roads, the Clásica Jaén is still only a 1.1 event.
Sports director Oli Cookson also admitted that stage 2 is "definitely" the best chance to bring Ineos their first WorldTour win for over 250 days. But he also ensured not to underestimate the field in the UAE, with specialists such as Stefan Bissegger (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) and, of course, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Emirates-XRG) also being challengers for the time trial victory.
"There's obviously some other really good time triallists here so we know what aiming for," said Cookson to Cyclingnews at the start of stage 1. "We're confident and we're supporting him fully.
"There are other favourites here as well and it's never easy to win any race, whether it be WorldTour or not, but we're up for tomorrow and we'll give it our best shot and so will Josh."
Tarling arrived in the UAE the day before his 21st birthday on February 15 but also off the back of an impressive season debut at the GP La Marseillaise and a stunted second race at Etoile de Bessèges after Ineos were one of the teams to pull out due to safety concerns.
"I think it's been a decent start, I'm happy. I was happier in Marseille than I was in Bessèges, but I think I'm getting there," said Tarling.
"This time last year he won in O Gran Camiño and I think he's had a good winter, he's in a good place which we saw in Marseille and then obviously he didn't get to race the TT in Bessèges," agreed Cookson, with the team's other focus for the week being on Carlos Rodríguez's GC ambitions.
"It's a perfect race for Carlos with a bit of heat and the opportunity to also get a flat WorldTour time trial in," continued the DS. "We'll see how he is on the climbing day days against some of the best riders in the world, including the world champion."
Without a sprinter on their seven-man roster, the uphill sprint finish on stage 1 was just a day of survival for Ineos, with Tarling and Rodríguez importantly coming home in the Jonathan Milan-led bunch.
Tarling will be the second Ineos rider off the start ramp in tomorrow's time trial at 13:30, with many of the specialists and GC riders including Pogačar also set to start during the early window to capitalise on the changing wind conditions.
Milan will try to defend the jersey as a more-than-capable ITT rider. However, if Tarling has re-found some of his top shape from 2023 and refreshed from the disappointments of last season, it could see him score his second WorldTour victory, the team's first since June and move him into the race leader's red jersey.
And with the momentum of Kwiatkowski's solo triumph and a possible second day in a row of success through Tarling, this could be the start of the team's climb back to the upper echelons of pro cycling.
