Josh Tarling is only 20 and making his debut at the Olympic Games in Paris but his youthful innocence and incredible time trial talents make him a favourite for Saturday's 32.4km race.
Tarling is not afraid to say he is going for gold. Pressure and expectations appear to slide off his back like the smooth flow of air when he races at 55 km/h in a time trial.
"I want to win it," Tarling said when asked his goal for the Olympics during a video call with several media, including Cyclingnews on Thursday, 24 hours after carrying out a final reconnaissance of the flat and fast city centre course.
"I think the time trial is kind of determined on how hard you can go, so long as I get everything out, then I know that's what I get. But of course, I'd like to win it.
"There's no expectation because I can't control that. As long as I know I've done everything I can on my side, as long as I'm happy with my ride, I'll be happy," he said.
In 2023 Tarling won the European time trial title and then took bronze at the World Championships, behind Remco Evenepoel and Filippo Ganna, probably his biggest rivals in the time trial at the Paris Olympics on Saturday.
Ganna, his Ineos Grenadiers teammate, considers Tarling a threat and is upset that Team GB have secured the services of his coach and time trial expert Dario Cioni for Saturday's race.
Even the bookmakers have Tarling as a favourite but he remains grounded.
"Ganna, Remco Evenepoel and Wout Van Aert have all done much more impressive stuff than I have. My name flies under the radar in some ways and that's quite nice," he said.
Fast food rewards for fast time trialling
In an interview in Cycling Weekly, Tarling and his father Michael recalled how they would stop at McDonald's on the way home from a mid-week club 10-mile time trial, the local racing feeding Josh's teenage racing desire and proving his ability year after year.
"I'd perhaps be a bit skinnier if it wasn't for that," Tarling joked about his fast food rewards for his fast time trailing.
He has already seen there is a French McDonald's near the Team GB accommodation on the outskirts of Paris but he is pining for another treat after weeks of disciplined training.
"I haven't had chocolate in a long time. It's not really a meal, but I'd love some of those red Lindor chocolate balls," he admitted.
Tarling has moved from South Wales to Andorra in the Pyrenees since turning professional in 2023. While Evenepoel and others raced the Tour de France, he trained specifically for the time trial at altitude and then at a special camp.
The size and importance of the Olympic only hit when he arrived in Paris before Wednesday's recon ride.
"You kind of get the sense it's a lot bigger when the whole hotel's GB-defined," he said.
"We've put more into it and done more specific things, things towards it but I have to treat that kind of the race, otherwise I end up stressing."
Tarling rode the 32.4km time trial course three times on Wednesday afternoon, going back to ride key corners at race speed. He also studied the roads at five in the morning in June to avoid the traffic.
"I don't love it, but there's nothing to dislike about it. I think for it to be really perfect for me, it would be good to be twistier, but there's nothing to dislike," he said.
"It's fast and on flowing roads, it's quite bumpy at the start and finish, there's been a lot of resurfacing and so some potholes but it's gonna be fun."
It is a course for powerful time trialists like Tarling and Ganna but does not exclude the more aerodynamically efficient riders like Evenepoel.
"It's a course where you do need the absolute watts. Remco is obviously better than me and Ganna on the hillier courses but I don't think he's at a disadvantage on a flat course. Obviously, the faster you go, the more aero makes a difference.
Tarling had seen that Van Aert tested a front disc brake for the time trial, perhaps believing it could give an aero advantage on the out-and-back course but he was not convinced.
"Good luck to him…" Tarling said with respectful observation.
"It's clever if he thinks there's a gain in it. If he's tested it, then go for it. I know the first and last five kilometres are bumpy, and so harsh on a disc wheel. I've never ridden one outside but I'm sure the corners won't be amazing on it either. Because the corners are fast, you need to really make the most out of them."
Tarling has worked on his bike position to become even more aerodynamic while retaining his power and relative comfort. He has a new skinsuit specially developed for the Olympic time trial, but other than that "nothing that crazy."
Both the men's and women's time trials are expected to be decided by just a few seconds or even less. A simple mistake on a corner, hitting a pothole or a brief loss of speed could make the difference between gold, silver, bronze or nothing.
Tarling could win the first medal for Great Britain on Saturday and kick off what many in Britain will be another gold rush, just like in London 2012 when Great Britain won 29 gold medals and a total of 65 medals.
In 2012 Bradley Wiggins won the time trial just days after winning the Tour de France. He posed on a throne at the medal ceremony, further adding to his then-national hero status.
"I quite fancy a throne…" Tarling joked teasingly. "I didn't ever think that could be me but I thought it was really, really sick.
"London 2012 was the first time I watched the Olympics, we went to watch the road race in the rain. My Games have since come quite quickly but I think we're ready for it."
For Tarling, the Olympic time trial will just be like many of the time trials he raced in Britain as a teenager, just with bigger rewards than a McDonald's burger.
"It'd be cool to win the first gold for Britain. It's definitely a goal. It'd be a bit of a dream," he said.
