After making a successful start to the 2025 season and employing a refreshed, more aggressive racing approach, Ineos Grenadiers are looking to carry their winning momentum into Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and the Classics.
The British team had their worst season yet in 2024, with an all-time low win total of 14. But after a visible reset to their tactics and several personnel changes, Ineos have managed to kick off this season with four victories and their first at WorldTour-level since June through Josh Tarling at the UAE Tour.
Tarling won the stage 2 time trial in the UAE and starts his second race of the year on Saturday as part of Ineos Grenadiers' seven-man roster for Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. New signings Bob Jungels and Sam Watson will also start in Ghent, alongside Ben Turner, Connor Swift, Artem Shmidt and Kim Heiduk.
While he's only 21, Tarling gives off the impression of being a leader in the team, with his determination to return to their former top status evident in how he speaks.
"It's not so much a refresh [personnel-wise], because I think, obviously, everyone likes all the staff, but it's more that everyone has that new hunger," Tarling told Cyclingnews last week.
"You can see it in the racing, you know, it's not desperate, it's hungry. Because I think there were a couple of times last year where, for sure, I was desperate, and then you make mistakes.
"But this year it's like, right, we're not desperate, but we're fucking hungry," he reiterates, "and it's working out well for us. As you've seen in all the races, even when we're not winning, now it's seconds and thirds instead of just being in the front group, which is nice."
Tarling's win in the UAE came just a day after Michał Kwiatkowski ended a win drought for Ineos that spanned 226 days, with Filippo Ganna scoring a win that wasn't a win the day after at the Volta ao Algarve. Whether they counted or not, they were back on top.
These triumphs came after Egan Bernal, despite now being out with injury, showed signs of his former best with a double victory at the Colombian national championships.
Laurens De Plus then rounded out a great week of concurrent racing in Spain, Portugal and the UAE with third overall in the Algarve, even amid a stacked start list, losing out only to Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) and João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG).
While they lost one of their biggest riders in Tom Pidcock to Q36.5, who will be one of their rivals at the Omloop on Saturday, on all fronts, Ineos Grenadiers finally look to be heading back in the right direction.
Tarling assured that this drive to return to form wasn't something that so much needed to be said, with a change in attitude already beginning for the rider back at training camp in December and January.
"I didn't think it really needed to be said. For sure it was, but it doesn't need to be from the managers," Tarling said.
"We're all bike riders, and if you're not winning, you're annoyed. I think it was mainly important that you can see it in the riders - even in the camp, we were all just battering each other.
"I think everyone's just fucking motivated."
Peaking for Paris-Roubaix after last year's disappointment
Tarling himself had a great week overall in the UAE, hanging onto second overall behind Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) until the final stage to Jebel Hafeet when he dropped to 21st. Even before that summit finish, which couldn't suit his characteristics less as a powerful TT specialist, Tarling fought back from a crash and worked on his own to make it into the front echelon in the crosswinds.
Heading into his third Classics campaign with Ineos, the 21-year-old certainly looked in solid shape. He's hoping for his peak to come later, however, with Paris-Roubaix set as his main target for the spring.
"I'm happy with the race. I enjoyed it, and the team was super positive," Tarling told Cyclingnews after the final stage. "It's nice to do a race like this before the Classics with the crosswinds, the tough positioning and the heat obviously will help.
"I think I'm not fully there yet, but hopefully by E3, I should be pretty perfect."
But that doesn't mean he won't give Omloop his full attention, should a chance to be in contention for victory arise. "If the opportunity is there, then for sure I'll go for it. It's not the main focus, but I'll go all in the same, and then we'll see."
After Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Tarling is set to ride Paris-Nice, then head back to Belgium for the E3 Saxo Classic, Gent-Wevelgem, Dwars door Vlaanderen and the Tour of Flanders, before his big goal of Roubaix arrives the week after.
"I'll get some fast miles in and a bit of motor pacing. Then, I should hopefully be flying for the Classics," Tarling said.
After being disqualified last year due to a sticky bottle and the subsequent disappointment that came with it, the Brit has certainly reflected on that day since. But he gets another crack in 2025 and should be part of a strong squad that also features Filippo Ganna. That's when he'll want his peak to come.
"It was a waste, for sure," Tarling said. "I was on really good form, and what's more annoying is that I was in that group, and it had stopped in front - that's why I went back for the bottle and the bike change.
"We could have made it back without the car in general, so, yeah, it was a waste. But it is what it is."
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