Josh Tarling will return to cycling eight days after the death of his young brother, Finlay, with the full backing of his family.
Josh had been expected to compete in the Vuelta a Espana for Netcompany INEOS. However, his participation in the Spanish race was thrown into uncertainty following the death of Finlay. On Thursday, the team confirmed his selection - with his family then publicly backing his decision.
Family Support
"On Saturday Joshua will be riding the Vuelta," posted his mother Dawn on Instagram. "He has chosen to do so in honour of his brother Fin, with the full support of his family, surrounded by a team who have been incredibly supportive of whatever decision he made."
"I could not have wished for two boys who were closer growing up and into adulthood we have watched with pride as Joshua has been the most loving and supportive big brother to Fin. Following this devastating news he has been an incredible strength for us all."
"Finlay was so incredibly proud of his big brother, and would be watching nose to the tv and shouting as he competed. So it is right that Josh honours that love and pride by doing what Fin always loved watching him do."
Crash Details
Finlay was killed during the eighth stage of the Volta a Portugal last Friday, after being hit by a van. The vehicle was mistakenly waved onto the course by bystanders, who thought all the cyclists in the race had already gone past them. The driver is not expected to face criminal charges at this stage but an investigation is continuing, with police revealing full details of the crash during a TV appearance.
Team and Race Context
Josh's selection was confirmed by INEOS on Thursday, when the team announced their eight-man line-up for the race. The event begins in Monaco on Saturday - with the vast majority of the other teams having confirmed their line-ups long before. The Vuelta a Espana is one of the three major European professional cycling stage races, alongside the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France.
The decision to return to competition has been backed by Welsh cycling great Geraint Thomas, who is also INEOS' director of racing. “It also goes without saying that, as a Team, we all fully support Josh in his decision to take part in the race," Thomas said.
The Vuelta will be Josh's second Grand Tour of the season - having taken part in his first Tour de France earlier this year. The 22-year-old from Aberaeron brings considerable time-trialling experience to the team, as a former European and national champion.
“La Vuelta is a big opportunity for us to finish the Grand Tour season strongly," added Thomas. "I’m confident in the team we’re taking and their ability to adapt to whatever the race throws at us over the next three weeks. It’ll be a tough race, because La Vuelta always is, but the team is united and looking forward to taking it on."
Fundraising and Legacy
An official fundraising page, via GoFundMe, has now been created by a friend of the family, with Tarling’s parents authorising the idea. The total is currently over £70,000, with people from all over the world sending donations in honour of Tarling, who was from Ffos-y-ffin near Aberaeron. The money donated is set to be given back into the cycling community, with a legacy project put in place to provide help for future generations of young Welsh riders.
