Romain Bardet’s eyes filled with tears as he crossed the finish line in second place at Liège-Bastogne-Liège. The emotions of a tremendous performance and an impressive result collided with the sacrifices the veteran Frenchman had made to return to the highest level of cycling.
Like the rest of the Liège-Bastogne-Liège peloton, Bardet had no answer when Tadej Pogačar launched an unstoppable attack on the Col de La Redoute, powering away to victory. However, Bardet’s experience shone through as he joined the select chase group and timed his attack perfectly on the La Roche-aux-Faucons climb. He held off the chasers to secure his best-ever result in the race, surpassing his previous third-place finish in 2018.
“I feel like I’m back at my best, and that’s why I’m here again this year,” Bardet explained after sharing a podium moment with Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel, a moment he said he would proudly share with his young son.
Bardet’s preparation for the Giro d’Italia included a strong performance at the Tour of the Alps last week, and he is expected to participate in the Tour de France. His impressive showing at Liège-Bastogne-Liège suggests that he remains a force to be reckoned with, even as he contemplates his future beyond 2025.
“I always believed that it was possible to finish on the podium again; otherwise, I honestly wouldn’t be here,” said Bardet about 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 others faltered in their attempts to match Pogačar’s pace on La Redoute, Bardet patiently bided his time for the final climb, La Roche-aux-Faucon.
“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 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.”
Once considered the great hope of French cycling after finishing second in the 2016 Tour de France, Bardet has embraced a more experienced role in the peloton. He has overcome burnout and a challenging period at AG2R to find renewed success with DSM-Firmenich PostNL.
“In cycling, you spend maybe 90% of the time training in the shadows,” Bardet reflected. “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.”
