Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne 2015, Saint-Gervais-les-Bains 2016, Peyragudes 2017, and now Rimini 2024. For the fourth time in his career, Romain Bardet has raised his arms on the finish line of a stage of the Tour de France. A huge feat for the Frenchman, who this time adds a yellow jersey that he has been chasing since his first participation in 2013. Eleven years later, he is the first leader of the general classification of the Tour de France 2024, and completes an already well-stocked list of achievements.
It was during the 18th stage of the 2015 Grande Boucle that the former rider of the AG2R-la Mondiale team collected his first bouquet. Starting in a huge breakaway at the start in Gap, alongside Pierre Rolland, Thibaut Pinot, Thomas Voeckler, Simon Yates and Jakob Fuglsang, Romain Bardet showed his climbing skills on the Col du Glandon, classified hors catégorie. A very good descender, he left Winner Anacona behind and headed towards an incredible solo victory, with a 33-second lead over Pierre Rolland.
Under the flood of Domancy
The following year, he did it again during the 19th stage between Albertville and Saint-Gervais-les-Bains. Having become one of the big favorites for the final victory, as evidenced by his second place in the general classification upon arrival in Paris, Romain Bardet this time took advantage of his downhill qualities to seek victory. In pouring rain, on the descent from Domancy, towards the final climb of Bettex, the Frenchman leaves the peloton and joins his teammate Mickaël Chérel.
Launched in pursuit of Rui Costa, while the falls continue in the peloton, and the yellow jersey Christopher Froome notably finds himself on the ground, the two men come back in the final climb. With 3.2 km to go, Romain Bardet finally drops the Portuguese and heads towards a solo victory, with a 23-second lead over Joaquim Rodriguez. A success that allows him to become the new runner-up to Froome in the general classification, a place that he will not relinquish.
In the hell of the Peyragudes altiport
With this incredible result, the Frenchman presented himself the following year with the status of a podium candidate. In contact with the best, Fabio Aru, Rigoberto Uran and, of course, Christopher Froome, the French rider PostNL came even closer during the 12th stage towards Peyragudes. The last hectometres of this July 13, 2017 were memorable. 500 m from the finish line, located at the Peyragudes altiport, there were only nine left to claim the stage victory.
Ideally placed in the middle of the group, Romain Bardet first lets Fabio Aru place the first attack, countered by Dan Martin. Calm in the wheels, despite the particularly steep slope, the Frenchman returns to contact with the Italian and attacks him in the last 100 meters. In a maximum effort, while Christopher Froome is in distress, the first yellow jersey of the Tour de France 2024 wins ahead of Rigoberto Uran and Aru, winning a third stage in a third different style.
In Peyragudes, Bardet showed that he was one of the best riders of the 2019 Tour. Reuters/Benoît Tessier
This Saturday, it was in strong form that he won his 4th bouquet. With the help of his Dutch teammate Frank Van den Broek, Romain Bardet held off the peloton during a battle of more than 50 km. Unlike his first three victories, this success also gave him the yellow jersey. A fair reward for a man who finished six of his ten Tours de France in the top ten of the general classification.
