Paris-Roubaix is not for the faint of heart, and it's not usually for the teenaged. But conventions will be bucked on Sunday as Josh Tarling clatters onto the cobblestones to become the youngest competitor at the Hell of the North in 86 years.
Not since Paul Botquint in 1937 has anyone raced Paris-Roubaix with fewer than the 19 years and 53 days Tarling has under his belt, the Frenchman having placed 22nd after taking to the start 16 days younger than Tarling.
Magnus Sheffield rode Paris-Roubaix two days short of his 20th birthday last year, while there are two other 19-year-olds on this year's start list in Ivan Romeo and Madis Mikhels, but Tarling makes history as the latest milestone in the youth revolution that has swept professional cycling in recent years.
The Welshman turned pro with Ineos Grenadiers at the start of this year, jumping straight from the junior ranks and skipping the U23s entirely, a move mirrored by Remco Evenepoel and Quinn Simmons in recent years.
Paris-Roubaix is not a bolt from the blue, with Tarling being thrown in at the deep end since the start of the season. He started out at Etoile de Bessèges as an 18-year-old before making his WorldTour debut at UAE Tour, and then getting the call-up for one of the most prestigious stage races, Paris-Nice.
He raced E3 Saxo Classic in Belgium last month, earning his surprise call-up for Paris-Roubaix on Sunday.
"His progress is amazing," Ineos Grenadiers Classics director, Ian Stannard, told Cyclingnews.
"Coming from the junior races last year, we were bit like 'ok, where's he going to fit into the team this year?' Then he does Paris-Nice and E3 and he's just buzzing to be here, can't stop smiling, and can't wait to get stuck in."
Tarling hasn't just been riding around gaining experience; he has actively contributed, notably pulling the peloton at Paris-Nice before his race ended with a crash. Stannard underlined the point that he's not just lining up to make up the numbers, that he has a job to do and can be trusted to do it.
"It's hard to know what to expect when they come in so young, but he's actually got a calm level head on him, loads of power, and you'd almost class him as someone who has some experience.
"He doesn't seem like a neo-pro. He's really calm and collected in this thoughts and understanding of the races."
Tarling won the junior time trial world championship at the end of last year. Standing at 1.94 metres, he appears to be an archetypal rouleur, with a strong background on the track and even some cyclocross appearances to his name.
"Obviously time trialling is his thing and I think these cobbled races are going to be something for the future for him," Stannard said.
"It's still to be discovered - he's still learning about himself and we're still learning about him. But he's delivering every time we ask him to do something."
Filippo Ganna will the charge for Ineos Grenadiers at Paris-Roubaix, but Tarling is certainly a rider to keep an eye on, both on Sunday and in the future.
