For most Grand Tour stage winners, that taste of victory at cycling's biggest races comes with a euphoric release of achievement, able to cross the finish line with their arms aloft, knowing they have indeed won.
But for British time trial champion Josh Tarling (Ineos Grenadiers) on stage 2 of the Giro d'Italia, that feeling of netting a maiden GT win came only after one hour and 28 minutes of waiting. There could be no grand celebration once Tarling crossed the line in Tirana. Instead, with 52 riders, many of the GC stars and other stage favourites still to come, he just rolled to a stop in front of team staff, downed a bottle of water and recovery drink and went to sit in a tent on a stool, to await either his greatest career victory or complete disappointment.
Tarling's biggest scare came 44 minutes after he finished, when Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) scorched around the 13.7km course and only missed out by the barest of margins – one second. There was a big sigh of relief for Tarling, and then came the smile, but the wait was agonising.
"The wait wasn't nice, I don't want to do it again. It was a long day for 13km," said Tarling immediately after his win was confirmed. "There were so many favourites who were spread out, so it was a long day in the hot seat.
"I was afraid of everybody… Primož really scared me. I thought he was going to be fast, but then obviously at the top of the climb he gained more than I would have liked, so yeah, it was a really stressful watch on the way in."
Tarling wasn't quite sure what set him apart from Roglič, even with such a narrow gap, but he did offer up a humorous suggestion that "I might be taller, maybe it's that", before answering more seriously.
"I did everything I could, and it looked like he did as well. Maybe I took some more risks, he's got GC as well, so he doesn't want to hurt himself, it could have been that."
Not referring to Roglič, Tarling was more ruthless when talking about the risky nature of the course in Tirana that some riders had complained about, bringing him out of his usually more nonchalant, laid-back nature.
"Yeah, don't take the risks then, it's part of it," said Tarling bluntly. "I think for sure there were some drains, but this is how the city is, so… you can always brake."
And it was the risks and a more daring run to the line after the Sauk climb that saw Tarling reel back in the three-second deficit he had on hot-seat sitter at the time, Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), to become the youngest ever time trial winner at the Giro d'Italia in its 108-edition history.
"We hoped for the win, the course looked good – I didn't know if it was going to be too short and punchy, but it obviously went as well as we could have hoped," said the Brit in the mixed zone.
"It's super special. It hasn't sunk in yet, but I'm sure it's going to. It's such a big step, and it's exciting for the rest of the Giro, especially for the team as well.
"For sure, this is the best victory of my career, I'd say. My first Grand Tour stage win, so I rank it the top."
Tarling's maiden success, at only 21, has brought Ineos their 11th victory of the season so far, and close to their woeful total of fifteen last season. He's been a big part of their recovery, also winning a stage of the UAE Tour, but was also part of that decline.
Having burst onto the scene as a teenager and podiumed at the World Championships time trial in 2023, Tarling promised to be one of the British team's next stars. He is definitely that, but has lacked wins and found himself in a rut at the end of last season with successive disappointments at the Olympics, the Vuelta and Worlds.
However, he hit the ground running in the UAE Tour, beating Tadej Pogačar to a time trial stage victory "he needed” and has pushed that momentum right the way through to the Giro. Tarling is feeling back to his best, and back to himself, an ominous sign for the rest of the peloton.
"I tried to forget it, but that whole end of the season has really motivated the start of this season," said Tarling.
"Obviously, at the end of last year, I was struggling in general, and we've just stepped everything up, the team as well. Everything's coming together really nicely, and it's an exciting time.
"I think mainly last year it was mental [struggles], I think I lost it a bit, but for sure it's back now. This has given us a lot of confidence –I feel back to me as well."
The Giro success shouldn't end there for Tarling either, with another race against the clock not far away on stage 10, from Lucca to Pisa. It's on a flatter and arguably more tailor-made 28.6km route that he was "already thinking about" after the win, which is now looking likely to be a perfect chance at already doubling his Grand Tour win tally.
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