It was a special evening for Brits named Josh at the UCI Track World Championships on Friday, as Josh Tarling and Josh Charlton won their country’s first titles of the competition in Santiago, Chile.
Tarling, riding in his first event on debut, won the points race with a commanding display, closing down moves, gaining a lap, and winning three sprints. The Welshman’s 56 points gave him a winning margin of six over the USA’s Peter Moore, and a 100% record at the Track Worlds.
“It went to plan so far,” said Tarling post-race, after celebrating his first world title by draping a Union Jack over his shoulders.
“I didn’t know how [my first Track Worlds] would be or how it would feel, so not knowing was scary,” he said. “[In the race] I felt pretty good. I think it was good that I got those early points in just so I knew the legs were there.”
“Now I think I have a little bit more of an idea of where we’re at and Mark’s in a good place as well, so it should be good,” he said.
Charlton is a previous world record holder in the individual pursuit.
(Image credit: Alex Whitehead/SWPix)
Later on in the evening, Josh Charlton became the first British man to win the individual pursuit world title since Bradley Wiggins in 2008.
The 22-year-old European champion led his final with Denmark’s Rasmus Pedersen from the opening lap, stretching his advantage out to more than three seconds over the 4km. Charlton’s winning time of 4:04.122 was more than four seconds of his personal best, achieved last year when he won silver, but enough to secure a maiden world title.
Elsewhere for Great Britain, Joe Truman scored back-to-back bronze medals in the kilometre time trial, placing behind the Dutch pair of Jeffrey Hoogland and Harrie Lavreysen, who successfully defended his title.
Having qualified second fastest, Truman clocked a time of 59.268 seconds in the final, more than a second behind Hoogland’s 58.163. Lavreysen won with a 57.978.
Wiebes tore away in the omnium to win ahead of France’s Marion Borras and Denmark’s Amalie Dideriksen.
(Image credit: Alex Whitehead/SWPix)
There was more Dutch glory on Friday night as Lorena Wiebes added omnium gold to her scratch race victory on the opening day, and Hetty van de Wouw won her first individual title in the women’s sprint. Great Britain’s Emma Finucane, the defending champion in the latter, was relegated out of the competition in the quarterfinals for entering her opponent’s sprinter’s lane.
The Track Worlds continue with their penultimate day on Saturday evening, when titles will be contested in the women’s kilometre time trial, women’s Madison, men’s omnium, and women’s individual pursuit.
Visit our streaming guide to find out how you can watch the action.
