Romain Bardet shed a tear after finishing second at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the emotions of a huge performance and impressive result colliding with thoughts of the sacrifice the veteran Frenchman has made to return to the highest level.
Bardet, like the rest of the Liège-Bastogne-Liège peloton, had no response when Tadej Pogačar attacked on the Col de La Redoute and then powered away to victory. However, Bardet was able to join the select chase group and then used his experience to attack on the La Roche-aux-Faucons climb and then hold off the chasers to take his best-ever result in Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
He finished third in the 2018 Liège-Bastogne-Liège but this time he was the best of the rest behind Pogačar.
“I feel like I’m back at my best and that’s why I’m here again this year,” Bardet explained after joining Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel on the podium for a photo moment he said he would proudly show his young son.
Bardet rode the Tour of the Alps last week, as he builds his form for the Giro d’Italia and is expected to ride the Tour de France as he reflects about racing in 2025 or ending his career.
“I always believed that it was possible to finish on the podium again otherwise I honestly wouldn't be here and I would have hung up my wheels a while ago,” he said of his Liège-Bastogne-Liège performance.
“I've never felt so strong on the bike, it's just that my rivals are even stronger than they once were. I'm just taking advantage of my form.”
While some orders blew up trying to go with Pogačar on the La Redoute, or while chasing across to the front group after crashes or mechanical problems, Bardet waited for the final La Roche-aux-Faucon climb.
“My tactical knowledge of the race also meant that I found myself in the right place at the front, in key moments,” he explained.
“I really like the La Roche-aux-Faucons. I had goosebumps at the bottom with all the crowds there. I told myself that I was going to put myself up front and have fun. It was hard but I knew that sometimes you only need five or ten seconds to stay away. I focused on my effort, giving it my all until the line.”
Bardet was once the hope of French cycling. He finished second in the 2016 Tour de France and has five other top-10 results. He has let a new generation take the spotlight and is now more of a father figure at DSM-Firmenich PostNL and in the peloton.
He suffered from burnout in 2019 and he moved from AG2R to DSM to reset his career. He suffered due to the effects of COVID-19 but seems to be enjoying his racing and the sacrifices needed as much as ever.
“In cycling, you spend maybe 90% of the time training in the shadows,” Bardet explained.
“We have to make a lot of sacrifices to be at this level but it’s also good to then be able to share in those moments together when we get the results.”
