‘You never know in the Tour’ - Romain Bardet fearless as he lines up Tour de France GC bid
The 32-year-old is ready to play the tactical game this July


There was a time when Romain Bardet would have been among those with the shortest odds to win the Tour de France.
He was the home nation's chosen champion, after all. In 2016, the then 25-year-old finished second to Chris Froome, before going on to round out the podium the following year. At the roadside, crowds roared him on as the man to end a three-decade spell without a French winner.
Now, aged 32, Bardet’s outlook is different. He knows his name isn’t uttered alongside the likes of Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard, but he’s still got his eye on GC.
“It’s becoming a bit of a game,” the Frenchman told a select group of media, including Cycling Weekly, at Team DSM’s season launch on Tuesday. “I had more pressure before because I knew I could have maybe been the best at some point. I was stepping up year by year at the Tour.
“Now, it’s obvious that I won’t be the best guy, or amongst the two, three or four best favourites. That keeps me really pushing all the way in terms of tactics and also in training before to really raise my level to try to match the young guys.”
This year will mark Bardet’s tenth assault on his home Grand Tour. After abandoning a promising Giro d’Italia campaign with illness last season, the Frenchman finished sixth at the Tour, but hopes for better this time round.
“I know already some guys are faster and stronger than me,” he said. “But you never know in the Tour. Despite two really shit days last year, I was still competing in the fight for a long time for the podium. I hope to be in the same place next year, with some better legs.”
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
After last year’s edition, Bardet revealed he took inspiration from 2018 yellow jersey winner Geraint Thomas, who rode his way onto the race's third step at 36 years old.
“His performance was really brilliant,” Bardet said of the Ineos Grenadiers rider, who grappled with riders ten years his junior throughout the three-week race. “For a guy who already won the Tour, to really fight when the other two guys [Pogačar and Vingegaard] went and almost get dropped every time, he was the last survivor of the fight.
“It was a really inspiring performance to see,” the Frenchman continued. “I think he has shown that even at 36 he can still reach his best. I think he was probably even better than when he won the Tour.”
Could Bardet, also in his thirties, follow in the Welshman’s footsteps this July? “I don’t want to set particular results that I have to go for,” he replied elusively. “I just want to have a good, smooth preparation and be able to give it a go.
“I’m still, I think, a GC rider and I work for that all year round,” Bardet added. “If I finish 6th or 7th or 8th and I’ve done everything I can, I will be happy with that.”
Thank you for reading 20 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

Tom joined Cycling Weekly as a news and features writer in the summer of 2022, having previously contributed as a freelancer. He is fluent in French and Spanish, and holds a master's degree in International Journalism. Since 2020, he has been the host of The TT Podcast, offering race analysis and rider interviews.
An enthusiastic cyclist himself, Tom likes it most when the road goes uphill, and actively seeks out double-figure gradients on his rides. His best result is 28th in a hill-climb competition, albeit out of 40 entrants.
-
3D printed saddles made just for you—does your rear require one? A review of Posedla’s Joyseat 2.0
Custom down to the name imprinted in the saddle. Posedla makes an impressively well-designed, high-quality product. But is it worth the price tag?
-
'I'm not even sure my coaches know my limits' - British cycling sensation Matthew Brennan wins again
Teenager claims third WorldTour victory of the season and takes leader's jersey at Tour de Romandie
-
Tadej Pogačar was dominant at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, but I hope for a competitive Tour de France
The Slovenian has finished on the podium of the last six Monuments, the first man to do so - when will he stop dominating?
-
Jonas Vingegaard confirms race schedule ahead of Tour de France
Danish climber will only ride the Critérium du Dauphiné in June, but will take part in two altitude camps
-
Remco Evenepoel hails end of 'dark period' and announces racing return
Olympic champion says comeback from training crash has been 'the hardest battle of my life so far'
-
'We need to keep the biggest race in the sport free' - Petition calling for Tour de France to remain on free-to-air television reaches 10,000 signatures
As things stand, the Tour will be not be free to watch in 2026, but a petition is seeking to change the way it is categorised by the UK government
-
Could Caleb Ewan be Ineos Grenadiers' first Tour de France sprinter since Mark Cavendish? 'That's my goal'
"All I can do is try to win as much as possible and prove that I deserve to be there," says Australian
-
Fabio Jakobsen forced to halt cycling for 'foreseeable future' due to iliac artery flow limitations
Dutch sprinter set to undergo surgery in order to attempt to fix the issue
-
Extra wildcard team approved for Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España
Number of teams to increase from 22 to 23 at men's Grand Tours
-
Jonas Vingegaard out of Volta a Catalunya after Paris-Nice crash
Visma-Lease a Bike say two-time Tour de France winner needs more time to recover from wrist injury sustained in France last week