Tobias Foss: 'I was never the world's best time triallist, I was just the best that day'

Ineos Grenadiers' specialist discusses the pressure brought on by World Championships success, admits errors as he takes aim at UAE Tour

08:00, Saturday 24th February 2024

George Poole

Junior Writer

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Tobias Foss captured the headlines by riding a 68-tooth chainring in Tuesday's time trial

Heading into Tuesday's stage 2 time trial at the UAE Tour, there was one rider at the centre of attention more than most, and his name was Tobias Foss.

After GCN revealed that the new Ineos Grenadiers recruit would be riding a 68-tooth chainring in the test against the clock, the camera lenses were never far from the team's gazebo ahead of the race. What followed was a fourth-place ride from the Norwegian specialist and former world champion.

"I think after winning the Worlds, expectations are always high but I think it was just an average TT," Foss told GCN, reflecting on the time trial before stage 5 got underway. "It was on my average level, so I still missed the high-intensity stuff and that's also planned. I think in the end it was a well-executed time trial and at the moment, what I am capable of."

Foss talked to GCN shortly after squeezing his tall frame into his Gobik skinsuit. Although stage 5 was to be a stage for the sprinters, aerodynamics are always worth considering over such flat terrain, and one imagines that Foss' skinsuit for the road stage carried less weight than that for the time trial - in some ways at least.

Of course, adorning the suit that Foss will pull on for the rest of his career for time trials are the rainbow bands that honour his World Time Trial Championship victory from Australia in 2022. They may pay homage to one of the finest moments of his career to date, but with that, the multi-coloured bands also carry a burden of expectation that weighs unfairly heavy on the 26-year-old's shoulders.

Tobias Foss after winning the world title in 2022

Since that special day in which the Norwegian pipped Switzerland's Stefan Küng and Belgium's Remco Evenepoel to the world title, the pressure to repeat one exceptional performance has long since hung over his head.

With each passing time trial and each non-victory, only more criticism of his performances and derision of his Worlds victory has followed. But as Foss is right to point out, such expectation is unfounded.

"I think if you look to 2022 when I won the Worlds, if you look at the year as a whole I was always top 10, top five and sometimes close to the podium, so I was always up there but never the best time trialist in the world. I was just the best that day and I was really lucky with that day being the World Championships."

With such balance and understanding in his rhetoric, Foss can be content with fourth place behind the trio of UAE Team Emirates riders on stage 2. He may be yet to add to his lone victory outside of the National Championships, but an exceptional ride can be taken just as that: an exemplary performance which might not be reproduced but enjoyed all the same.

"I am grateful for it and in the end, I have to be realistic that I had never won any time trials before that, so for me, to expect winning every time is unrealistic. My belief is actually stronger than before after proving to myself that I am capable of winning the Worlds."

Carrying only a 14-second deficit to race leader Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) coming out of stage 2, Foss was well set to make good on his team's pre-race expectations for the 26-year-old to challenge in the general classification.

"We’ve got Tobias Foss here to look to do a good time trial on stage 2 and then we’ll be looking after him as best as possible for the GC - let's see on the mountain days," Ineos Grenadiers' sports director Oli Cookson told GCN on the eve of the race, before expressing his delight at seeing the Norwegian make his first appearance of 2024.

"We’re super happy to have him in the team and he’s an amazing talent, and it will be interesting to see how he goes against everyone on the climbs as well as tomorrow’s TT."

However, Foss' hopes took a slight dent in the stage 3 mountaintop finish atop the lunar landscape of Jebel Jais.

'I was way too eager on Jebel Jais', admits Foss

Approaching the upper slopes of the 20km climb, much of the peloton was still intact at the front of the race, with UAE Team Emirates setting a steady if not searing tempo through Mikkel Bjerg. But as the pseudo summit - the peak of the mountain is actually a further couple of kilometres up the road - drew near, Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale blew the group to smithereens and out the back went Foss, amongst others.

"It was my first time up there so I think I would definitely do a lot of things differently," Foss was honest. "I was way too eager, I took a lot of wind, and we were a bit too much in the front. I think that is a climb where if you're packed up in the bunch behind, you save so much [energy]."

The finish line was a welcome sight for many on Wednesday's visit to Jebel Jais

Having blown his gasket earlier in the climb, Foss could only watch and suffer as the likes of stage winner, Ben O'Connor, and soon-to-be new race leader, Jay Vine, galavanted up the climb to the finish. Some 20 seconds after O'Connor rode to a memorable victory, Foss spluttered across the line looking somewhat worse for wear.

It was 19th place on the day and left the Norwegian 33 seconds behind Vine in the red jersey. But whilst at first disappointing, Foss' struggles were not all that surprising in a finale that appeared far harder than the race's previous visits to this particular summit.

"I blew myself a bit there and in the end, it became a really explosive final and Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale were really impressive. In my training up to now, I don't have the foundation for that and also that's not my speciality, so I think it was ok.

"I could have done a bit more damage control if I spent my energy a bit better."

After three likely successive sprint stages, the opportunity to make amends will come on Sunday's finale stage to Jebel Hafeet.

UAE Tour to be decided on Jebel Hafeet

Currently sitting in seventh position, Foss can still target the podium at this year's UAE Tour, with the race for the win still wide open as well. Vine may currently hold the GC lead, but the Australian struggled to balance performing at his best with team tactics on Wednesday and might be put under pressure by Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale once more on Sunday.

The profile of Jebel Hafeet promises a sense of consistency that may suit Foss' characteristics as a time trialist

For Foss, the emphasis will be on exerting the best from himself, which he was not able to show on the shallower slopes of Jebel Jais. The contrasting Jebel Hafeet may historically suit the pure climbers more - it is a shorter but steeper climb than Jebel Jais - but Foss believes he will also fare better than earlier in the week.

"It is not that forgiving to be in the back and it is perhaps less explosive than the final of the third stage," he noted.

"So I am confident going into it and then I will just be 24/25 minutes full gas and then best man win. I am confident that my shape should be good enough to be at least up there somewhere."

At 6.6% for nigh-on 11km, Jebel Hafeet will provide a rousing curtain call on a tough week of racing in the United Arab Emirates. Between Foss, O'Connor, Vine and more, the climb promises to deliver a worthy successor to Remco Evenepoel's crown from 2023. But can the Norwegian benefit?

Riding without the pressure of rainbow bands on his arm may help.

For all the important information about the 2024 UAE Tour, be sure to check out our dedicated race hub for our full preview, the race startlist and much more.