DUBAI: British cyclist Joshua Tarling has made history at the UAE Tour, becoming the youngest rider ever to wear the Red Jersey after a dominant performance in the Tudor ITT. Tarling set a record speed of 56.671 km/h, completing the 12.2 km time trial in just 12 minutes and 55 seconds.
The British champion outpaced Stefan Bissegger by 13 seconds and Tadej Pogacar by 18 seconds, solidifying his position as a top contender. Among other General Classification (GC) competitors, Pello Bilbao finished 39 seconds behind, while Giulio Ciccone, Carlos Rodriguez, Alexey Lutsenko, and defending champion Lennert Van Eetvelt all struggled to close the gap. Former Red Jersey holder Jonathan Milan dropped further behind, finishing 1 minute and 13 seconds off the pace.
With Stage 3 set to cover 181 km from Ras Al Khaimah to Jebel Jais, the climbers now have their first big opportunity to make an impact in the race.
The stage victory saw Tarling awarded by Rasheid Abdulkarim Al Blooshi, Undersecretary of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, and Aref Al Awani, General Secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council.
