Romain Bardet Discussion Thread

[roundabout]

Re:

that 2nd picture is so small no normal eye can read that

it's slightly more readable when opened in a new tab

http://img.techpowerup.org/170723/tour-fred-resize.jpg

 

[Tonton]

Re: Re:

Here you have it, courtesy chronoswatts, Fred Portoleau, Giro and Tour 2017 main climbs:

Shows that the level is even on climbs. Time trials made the differences.

So if there're even on the climbs and Pinot>Bardet in ITT, does it mean what I think it means?

 

[Alexandre B.]

Re: Re:

Here you have it, courtesy chronoswatts, Fred Portoleau, Giro and Tour 2017 main climbs:

Shows that the level is even on climbs. Time trials made the differences.

So if there're even on the climbs and Pinot>Bardet in ITT, does it mean what I think it means?

3rd > 4th

 

[IndianCyclist]

Re: Re:

Here you have it, courtesy chronoswatts, Fred Portoleau, Giro and Tour 2017 main climbs:

Shows that the level is even on climbs. Time trials made the differences.

So if there're even on the climbs and Pinot>Bardet in ITT, does it mean what I think it means?

IMO it does not matter if Pinot is better than if Bardet if both forgot to train for TTs. After all it is not a matter of competing for the best Frenchman. It is almost criminal

 

[Tonton]

@IndianCyclist

I couldn't help it .

 

[PremierAndrew]

Plus Bardet can probably make up the time lost in an ITT against Pinot on a descent

 

[Bolder]

Clearly you cannot expect to win a GT without ITT prowess, at least not anymore. If RB wants to have a chance to win he clearly needs to get on that bike and in the wind tunnel, and figure out a way to avoid nearly losing the podium on the final day. Given his physique he probably won't be a fabulous TTer, but he should aim for respectability. It's not like he blew anybody away in the mountains -- he was on the same level as Froome and Uran and honestly slightly behind Landa/Barguil. So he would probably see the largest marginal gains in time trialing.

 

[RedheadDane]

An interesting thought that sorta struck me earlier today:

If we go by placing he's of course worse than last year; 3rd as opposed to 2nd.
However, if we go by time behind he's better; 2' 20 as opposed to 4' 05.

 

[Tonton]

Re:

An interesting thought that sorta struck me earlier today:

If we go by placing he's of course worse than last year; 3rd as opposed to 2nd.
However, if we go by time behind he's better; 2' 20 as opposed to 4' 05.

Very true...what matters is how close to winning he was, and Romain cut his deficit in half yer-over-year. And it was actually by more than half, because last year he made up time stage 19, when he was not a danger, and Sky didn't bother chasing.

For all the discussions in the "French Hope" thread, let's not forget that time-wise, Pinot and Bardet recorded the two closest finishes to the winner by a French rider since Jalabert won La Vuelta...and both are still young.

To get back to Romain, his Tour definitely was a success. Plain and simple.

 

[Alexandre B.]

2013 (22yo): 15th
2014 (23yo): 6th
2015 (24yo): 9th + one stage win
2016 (25yo): 2nd + one stage win
2017 (26yo): 3rd + one stage win

Romain continues to grow as a prominent GC contender.

Last year, he was constantly behind Froome in the mountains, except for the move that earned him his podium place: he was behind Froome at Bagnères-de-Luchon, he was behind Froome at Andorra-Arcalis, he was behind Froome at Chalet Reynard and he was behind Froome at Finhaut-Emosson.

Not anymore.

He won a stage à la pédale at the altiport of Peyragudes, and was slightly dropped for one time, on the last section of La Planche des Belles Filles. This Tour showed us the best of Romain climbing wise. He's up there with the cream of the crop.

Romain suffered a bad day on the penultimate stage which was a time trial, his grand weakness, leading to a near disaster. He MUST imperatively improve on his TT skills, if not he'll never win any balanced stage race. If someone like Landa has improved, there's no reason Romain cannot.

I have a regret: he missed a unique opportunity to wear the yellow jersey for some days. It's something that strikes me, but Romain never led a race. He doesn't know that feel.

I hope he will.

 

[movingtarget]

Bardet has youth on his side but he has to work on his TT. Quintana has improved in that area.

 

[armchairclimber]

I have enjoyed watching him this year. Only two riders on GC attacked Froome: Bardet and Martin. Martin paid for it dearly. Bardet managed his race quite well, I thought. He needs a course with more summit finishes and technical descents without long flat run ins. And yes, he needs to improve his TT of course.

The fact of the matter is, he was beaten by the best GT rider with a world champion and super-climber for domestiques. No shame there. Before the 2016 tour I suggested that he was a podium threat ... very few agreed with me. He has confirmed that it was no fluke.

Edit. Aru also attacked of course ... look what happened to him.

 

[Jagartrott]

Even if Bardet somehow got close to Froome's level in TT'ing (which is highly unlikely), he'd still have to beat the Sky machine in the mountains. I don't see that happening anytime soon. And on the flats, his AG2R team is definitely vulnerable. If it were not for Naesen, he could've lost the Tour in that one echelon stage already

 

[Jagartrott]

Something interesting to add: his teammate Bakelants was a guest at a Flemish TV show yesterday. Bakelants got some criticism for a stupid interview taken completely out of context before the Tour, but he's actually quite smart AND he doesn't really do media-trained interviews.

He said he was proud that a small-budget team like AG2R was able to compete with Sky and Froome this Tour, but then he also mentioned several things that should be improved. Specifically he mentioned tactics, with too much soft-pedalling 'pulling' on some mountain stages that just made it easy for Sky, and professionalism regarding equipment - especially regarding the TT gear (he specifically referred to the helmets). I don't know if AG2R is suffering from an outdated leadership, but it would be good to not just rely on "we'll do the same next year, hopefully then it'll work".

 

[hrotha]

Re:

Specifically he mentioned tactics, with too much soft-pedalling 'pulling' on some mountain stages that just made it easy for Sky

Ha. Look at that, maybe some of us weren't crazy after all!

 

[Valv.Piti]

If I remember correctly, it was indeed Bakelants who annihilated to frontgroup on Izoard with 8 to go when Romain decided it was better to let 3 Sky-riders join up again and wait till the 3 kilometre mark. Sharp acceleration instead of threshold pulls. I also do think he was in the break when Ag2R had the opportunity to take valuable time out of Froome in the Massif Central, I think thats what he specifically was referring to when he made that comment.

 

[Jagartrott]

Yep.

He said (referring to the Izoard climb): you cannot break the Sky train by putting out 400 W, you have to get them in the red zone and we didn't do enough of that. In the Massif Central he was also up ahead (actually he was the rider with the most breakaway km apart from De Gendt) and was ready to fall back but never received the order.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

Yep.

He said (referring to the Izoard climb): you cannot break the Sky train by putting out 400 W, you have to get them in the red zone and we didn't do enough of that. In the Massif Central he was also up ahead (actually he was the rider with the most breakaway km apart from De Gendt) and was ready to fall back but never received the order.

It worked and it was THE place to attack for Bardet on Izoard. Couldn't have set up more more brilliantly than that..

 

[jmdirt]

Re:

Something interesting to add: his teammate Bakelants was a guest at a Flemish TV show yesterday. Bakelants got some criticism for a stupid interview taken completely out of context before the Tour, but he's actually quite smart AND he doesn't really do media-trained interviews.

He said he was proud that a small-budget team like AG2R was able to compete with Sky and Froome this Tour, but then he also mentioned several things that should be improved. Specifically he mentioned tactics, with too much soft-pedalling 'pulling' on some mountain stages that just made it easy for Sky, and professionalism regarding equipment - especially regarding the TT gear (he specifically referred to the helmets). I don't know if AG2R is suffering from an outdated leadership, but it would be good to not just rely on "we'll do the same next year, hopefully then it'll work".

Its crazy that a WT team wouldn't have at least as good equipment as amateur riders at the weekly TT. I doesn't matter if AG2R uses the vortex suit and best helmets though if RB doesn't get his position correct and put time on the bike.

 

[Alexandre B.]

A little "Off the wall" interview with Romain, by Rouleur: https://rouleur.cc/editorial/romain-bardet-off-wall/

 

[staubsauger]

Re: Re:

Something interesting to add: his teammate Bakelants was a guest at a Flemish TV show yesterday. Bakelants got some criticism for a stupid interview taken completely out of context before the Tour, but he's actually quite smart AND he doesn't really do media-trained interviews.

He said he was proud that a small-budget team like AG2R was able to compete with Sky and Froome this Tour, but then he also mentioned several things that should be improved. Specifically he mentioned tactics, with too much soft-pedalling 'pulling' on some mountain stages that just made it easy for Sky, and professionalism regarding equipment - especially regarding the TT gear (he specifically referred to the helmets). I don't know if AG2R is suffering from an outdated leadership, but it would be good to not just rely on "we'll do the same next year, hopefully then it'll work".

Its crazy that a WT team wouldn't have at least as good equipment as amateur riders at the weekly TT. I doesn't matter if AG2R uses the vortex suit and best helmets though if RB doesn't get his position correct and put time on the bike.

I seriously wondered that AG2R & Look didn't team-up at the start of the season.

 

[Alexandre B.]

Really good stage!

He's with a shot at a (very) good general classification.

 

[Netserk]

First time he rides a second GT in the same season, so I think he's prone to fade, but he and Pozzovivo should get a top-5 between them. If he doesn't fade, a podium spot is possible.

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

First time he rides a second GT in the same season, so I think he's prone to fade, but he and Pozzovivo should get a top-5 between them. If he doesn't fade, a podium spot is possible.

Maybe.

If they cancel the TT.

 

[Tonton]

Bad day today...big time loss. I sure wasn't expecting Romain to lose time in a finish like this. On the contrary. 1'37" behind Froome, 1'27" behind Chaves, far from the two Italians, all better in ITT...it's not looking good. I have a feeling that RB is not in as good a form as advertised. Hope I'm wrong.

Lavenu should stop having the GC in mind, let Bardet be the Barguill of this Vuelta instead of hurting his stocks with a Jungels/Mollema-level GC placing. Again, he's the DS and I'm not: hope I'm wrong.