La Roc d'Azur, a mega mountain bike festival held in Frejus, in the south of France, is a great opportunity to put your thoughts in order. And Romain Bardet della Roc is a real regular. The rider of the dsm He had a background as a biker and remains a huge fan. His last road race of 2022 was the Lombardia, but his true season finale came the following day at the Roc... as is now his tradition.
Romain reviewed his season. He made a comprehensive assessment of the generational comparison and, above all, and we can only be pleased, expressed an act of love towards the Tour of Italy. So, here it is, after Pinot, another “cousin” falling in love with the Giro d’Italia.
Giro mon amour
Romain may not have been as explicit as Pinot has been over the years, but his words were not insignificant.
«This year I had set myself the general classification of the Giro d'Italia as my main objective – said Bardet – I had this race in mind since December 2021. And I arrived there in excellent condition." During the race he also said how beautiful it was to race the Giro. Technical routes, very tough climbs and less stress than the TourThe technical aspect was more evident than the context.
And it's true. We ourselves spoke with him upon arrival in Villabassa, at Tour of the Alps, while wandering through the narrow streets of the South Tyrolean village in search of his hotel. Romain told us that he had been thinking about the Giro since it was introduced and that certain climbs made him dream.
And in that race, TOTA showed such determination that he took home the general classification with a great move in the last stage on a terrible day.
«I think that last Giro – continued Bardet – it was the Grand Tour where I felt most confident in my career. And you can never be completely sure in a major stage race. Instead I had a state of mind I had never had before. A state of mind of conquest."
Cold shower
But Bardet is right: you can never be completely sure in a major Tour. He was there determined, fourth overall to celebrate his teammate's victory Dainese in Reggio Emilia, and two days later he sadly climbed into the flagship for severe stomach problems.
Who knows if he will return to the Giro again. Tour de France route, presented yesterday, he can't help but like it. First because it's objectively beautiful. Second because there are only 22 kilometers of time trial. Third (perhaps the most important reason) because the Grande Boucle passes through its “home”, the Massif Central. The rider from Brioude will have at least four stages within a 70-kilometer radius of his home.
But we have seen that when a rider focuses on a certain goal, when he understands that he has a concrete possibility of achieving something he is willing to review his priorities. Consider that last year, out of 64 days of racing, Bardet only did 21 in France and they were those of the Tour. For the rest, he competed mainly in Italy: Tirreno, Tour of the Alps, Giro, Tre Valli Varesine, Giro di Lombardia. Furthermore, Romain only "discovered" the Giro in 2021 and wanted to return the following year. As they say: all good things come in threes.
Deep thoughts
«During this season I think I have been there every time I was expected to be – Bardet added – There were always one or two riders out of range, except in May. (that is, at the Giro, ed.). I was really happy there."
When he talks about above-average riders, Bardet is referring above all to Jonas Vingegaard, Tadej pogacar ed Remco Evenepoel.
«They have something extra, they are geniuses on bicycles. When they're at 100%, no one can compete with them. In fact, you could say they compete with each other. They don't take care of us.
"We see that we're all going faster than in the past. The pace on the climbs is now incredible... and yet they're going even faster. I think this also depends on the structure of their teams. When you see the Jumbo Visma and UAE Emirates, especially in the Grand Tours, at least five or six of their riders could be leaders on other teams. And everything becomes complicated for us. The only thing we can do is try to stay calm and calibrate our strengths to survive."
Finally, Bardet offers an interesting reflection on his generation. The Frenchman was born in 1990, like Aru, Dumoulin, Pinot…
«I think I stumbled into a generational window that never quite arrived. I wasn't just saying, five or six years ago, that my best years were yet to come. And indeed, the numbers are clear: I'm stronger than I was back then. The problem is that there are even stronger young people."
