Romain Bardet is heading back to the Tour de France for the first time since 2020
Frenchman will return to his home Grand Tour with Team DSM after leaving the Giro d'Italia early due to illness


Romain Bardet is set to return to the Tour de France next month. The Frenchman confirmed the news in a social media post (opens in new tab) on Monday morning.
It will be the first time that Bardet has ridden the Tour for Team DSM, who he joined at the beginning of 2021; the last time he rode the French Grand Tour was in 2020, his final year with AG2R La Mondiale. He failed to finish on that occasion, suffering from concussion.
The 31-year-old left the Giro d'Italia early last month due to illness. He was lying in 4th overall when he was forced to leave the race on stage 13.
Last year, he missed the Tour for the first year since 2012, as he raced the Giro instead, where he finished seventh on general classification, and then the Vuelta a España, where he won a stage, his first victory in three years.
“Super excited to announce I will be at the Tour de France with DSM! We have been building up to this one with everyone so looking forward to racing in front of our French fans again,” he wrote on Instagram.
Bardet was looking good at the Giro, as he was high up on the general classification, alongside riders like Mikel Landa (Bahrain-Victorious), Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers) and eventual winner Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe).
When his teammate Romain Combaud was interviewed after stage 14 at that race, he said: "There was only one week left. It's horrible for us. He is a great champion." However, now Bardet has the opportunity to make up for it.
He won the Tour of the Alps back in April, his first general classification win since 2013, proving he had the legs for an overall challenge, one which he was forced out of doing at the Giro.
The Frenchman has twice finished on the podium of the Tour de France, finishing second in 2016 and then third in 2017, both times behind Chris Froome. He will be joining his compatriot and old rival Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) at the Tour next month, so there will be a bit of nostalgia at the race.
The Tour begins with a time trial in Copenhagen on the 1 July. There is not a lot of time-trialling in this year's race, which could favour Bardet, but it is hard to know if he is anywhere near the level of two-time winner Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) and Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma), who are considered the favourites.
A post shared by Romain Bardet (@romainbardet) (opens in new tab)
A photo posted by on
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Hello, I'm Cycling Weekly's senior news and features writer. I love road racing first and foremost, but my interests spread beyond that. I like sticking to the tarmac on my own bike, however.
Before joining the team here I wrote for Procycling for almost two years, interviewing riders and writing about racing.
Prior to covering the sport of cycling, I wrote about ecclesiastical matters for the Church Times and politics for Business Insider. I have degrees in history and journalism.
-
-
Mathieu van der Poel talks himself down as opening Tour de France stage favourite
Alpecin-Deceuninck rider will instead target yellow in the following days in Denmark and France
By Chris Marshall-Bell • Published
-
Bahrain Victorious hotel searched by police day before Tour de France starts
Danish Police searched team hotel at 5.30am on behalf of French prosecutors
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Mathieu van der Poel talks himself down as opening Tour de France stage favourite
Alpecin-Deceuninck rider will instead target yellow in the following days in Denmark and France
By Chris Marshall-Bell • Published
-
Bahrain Victorious hotel searched by police day before Tour de France starts
Danish Police searched team hotel at 5.30am on behalf of French prosecutors
By Adam Becket • Published
-
How do the Tour de France 2022 time trials work?
The race against the clock is a highlight of the games, but what are the rules?
By Ryan Dabbs • Published
-
'I had proper fever and chills' - Adam Yates bounces back from Covid for Tour de France
British rider heads to fifth Tour de France as one of Ineos Grenadiers' leader, but with doubts over form
By Adam Becket • Published
-
'I’m just going to try and enjoy myself' — Geraint Thomas readies himself for his 12th Tour de France
Ineos Grenadiers are targeting the yellow jersey with Thomas, Adam Yates and Dani Martínez
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Tour de France 2022 start list: Tadej Pogačar, Primož Roglič and Wout Van Aert all line up for the 109th edition
The squads of all 22 teams starting in Denmark in the battle for the yellow jersey
By Ryan Dabbs • Published
-
Primož Roglič: Wout van Aert is '100% dedicated to the whole team'
Jumbo-Visma head into the Tour de France with three leaders, and a split strategy that they hope pays off
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Young and talented: Meet the seven Americans racing Le Tour
Young and talented: Meet the seven American bike racers ringing Le Tour de France in 2022.
By Marshall Opel • Published