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Unless I'm reading his palmares wrong, Bardet has won surprisingly few races for a guy who until recently was a Top 3 GT talent. Most of his victories seem to have been in minor French races, in fact.
Still, maybe all he needs is a shakeup in his routine, so let's see what he does next year. I seriously can't imagine him on the Tour podium, but with so few TT kms it may be his best bet.
- May 5, 2010
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To be fair, he's also got the odd TdF stage wins, that's gotta count for something.
- May 17, 2013
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I agree to some extend. His 2nd was due to a brilliant tactical move on stage 18 that got him from 5th to 2nd. Carapaz -like except for the win: Froome didn't care.
The 3rd place could have been 4th, .87 second was the margin. Your comment is spot on: fantastic climber but the Marseille ITT was horrendous and it's not improving.
Having said that, he makes the best of his abilities, just missing a little something. Bad sprinter, yet at the WRRC last year he timed it good and actually gained ground on Valverde in the final 100 meters, he did his best and I must say that Alejandro got away with launching it from far out. Runner-up at La Strade means a lot to me. Podiums and top-10s in the spring classics. He's a heck of a rider.
Climbing not making up for ITT, yeah, I just wonder how ITT greats can climb: there used to be one in a generation, an all-time great, now there are many.
Problem is: one day is "I need to re-invent myself, break the routine (i.e. Giro", then "I'm going for Le Tour", now it looks like it's about Olympics and Worlds. Romain needs to pick his target(s).
Most of all, Romain Bardet needs wins. That changes how you perceive racing, gives you the belief...and things happen.
- Mar 20, 2013
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The bold - what about the '80s? Lemond in 86 and Delgado in 88 are the only two Tour winners that didn't win a TT in years they won the Tour. Lemond finished 2nd in both long TTs to Hinault in 86. There was a whole decade of TT greats being good enough climbers (they all won mountain stages at some time in their career) to win the Tour de France. Delgado being the exception. The 70's are pretty much the same.
- Jul 24, 2009
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When sports scientists figured out that nutritional and hydration requirements were very different when training at altitude compared to sea-level (and in ways unexpected even to scientists or nutritionists and that could not be explained or guessed using either 'bro-science' or 'common-sense') it became apparent that altitude training was not only beneficial for climbing but that training under hypoxic conditions can produce favourable changes in hypertrophy and strength when the proper protocols are followed. So really it is not a surprise that a rider can be good at both ITT's and climbing ... they are not mutually exclusive qualities.
- May 17, 2013
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I didn't mean to diminish the two podiums BTW. Romain put himself in great situations and he has now a bunch of top-10 in the most difficult GT, most difficult because of the field, the focus from INEOS/SKY. That's why on a GT that is looser in terms of team control and ability for a single guy to win it, even with more ITT than Le Tour, the '20 Giro is intriguing and if I were him I'd go for it. The last week is tough and bravery can be rewarded. Then OG, WRRC, for sure...
@wansteadimp, a lot has happened since the '80s...Indurain, Armstrong, Sky...others...
@wansteadimp, a lot has happened since the '80s...Indurain, Armstrong, Sky...others...
- Mar 11, 2009
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Look at it like this- It was Froome vs the field.
Contador never really rode for podiums and he tried the double in 2015, the last year he really looked able to match Froome. He crashed out in 2016 and crashed again in 2017 and struggled after that.
Nibali focused on the Giro in 2016-17, Bardet’s best years.
so you take out two of the 3 best stage racers in the world and you end up with Froome vs Nairo vs the field. That opened the door for a rider like Bardet- who never seriously looked like a GT winner to me at least. I always thought Pinot was the Frenchman with the best shot, but his fragility always seemed to get in his way.
- Mar 11, 2009
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Delgado won the TT in 1988, and probably would’ve won 2 that year without an ill timed mechanical and wind direction. LeMond could’ve won the final TT as well but crashed and ended up losing by 20-30 seconds.
He has announced his intention to ride il Giro and la Vuelta next season, finally! This will be good for him (and for us), even though I still doubt that he will win or podium a GT. If he has the legs, he could try to go for KoM, stages and a achieve a more memorable top 10 GC placement a la Barguil in the 2017 Tour.
- Aug 18, 2010
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This is true, but there are 25 plus riders in the peloton who could podium the Vuelta if they hit their best form and got a bit lucky with the depth and form of the opposition. The more interesting issue is if an in form Bardet still ranks highly enough to have a good chance of a Giro podium.
- May 25, 2018
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An in form Bardet could win a Vuelta. It's the parcour that usually suits him best
- May 17, 2013
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This could be a defining year for Romain: since Le Tour is the ultimate goal for Skyneos, they aren't sending a team nearly as strong at Il Giro and La Vuelta. It makes for a more open race with contenders who believe that they can win and not just be the "best of the rest". Different mindset...
All in all, it may be a little too much ITT for Bardet in Italy to hope for too much whereas Vuelta-style courses could suit him somewhat better. In any case, I wish him the best and hope that - more importantly - this new challenge will re-ignite the flame...RB looked burnt out last season.
All in all, it may be a little too much ITT for Bardet in Italy to hope for too much whereas Vuelta-style courses could suit him somewhat better. In any case, I wish him the best and hope that - more importantly - this new challenge will re-ignite the flame...RB looked burnt out last season.
"Burned out" definitely describes how he looked. But I think, given the ITT at the Giro, that it's a suicide mission. His best hope, as noted, is that Ineos doesn't send their best team. Unfortunately Carapaz will be stronger b/c of Ineos and I'm sure he'll be there to defend.
I hope he comes out of the block fast and picks off or podiums at a one-day race in the first third of the season.
I hope he comes out of the block fast and picks off or podiums at a one-day race in the first third of the season.
- Nov 16, 2013
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He is considering riding Flanders and Roubaix this year. That's pretty cool.
- May 23, 2009
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Not sure how he'd go at Roubaix but he can show well at Flanders. Great to see
He can definitely do well at Flanders. For a guy who looks kind of unhealthy during a 3 week stage race he sure has a lot of stamina for classics. I think he'll get tossed around on PR, but if he can stay on the bike he could very well make the final selection.
Did I misread somewhere that he'll do the Tour this year instead of the Giro? That sounds like a recipe for anotherdisappointment polka dot jersey.
Did I misread somewhere that he'll do the Tour this year instead of the Giro? That sounds like a recipe for another
- Sep 4, 2017
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I reckon the switch to the tour is sponsor pressure to have their biggest star appear in the first big race of the season especially as it’s hard to feel confident the whole schedule planned will get completed without further issues
- Nov 16, 2013
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- Jan 4, 2020
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He has been one of my favorite riders for years, but I am really not sure about what he can do in the future. He and his team seem to think it's most important to break the routine and get the mental strength back. So it would be good for him to do something like P-R.
But honestly even at the beginning of this year, although I might very well read too much into it, he did not appear to have fun or enjoy racing very much.
The Tour route certainly looks way better for him than the Giro route this year, so that makes sense, but with a Tour that can be expected to be packed, I can't see him doing much.
Maybe he takes this year as one of experiments and experiences, and maybe this is now a good year to do so, when everything is messed up anyway, and with the focus of the French public on other riders (as well). But maybe he also feels the pressure even stronger. And what if it is not just a question of motivation?
But honestly even at the beginning of this year, although I might very well read too much into it, he did not appear to have fun or enjoy racing very much.
The Tour route certainly looks way better for him than the Giro route this year, so that makes sense, but with a Tour that can be expected to be packed, I can't see him doing much.
Maybe he takes this year as one of experiments and experiences, and maybe this is now a good year to do so, when everything is messed up anyway, and with the focus of the French public on other riders (as well). But maybe he also feels the pressure even stronger. And what if it is not just a question of motivation?
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