Happy that his son can finally race according to what his true nature also dictates, Romain Bardet’s father does not refrain from dreaming of other moments of glory in this 2024 edition of the Tour de France. The last in his son’s career.
Winner of his fourth stage of the Grande Boucle on Saturday in Rimini, Frenchman Romain Bardet began the second stage of the Tour de France in Italy, linking Cesenatico to Bologna, wearing the leader’s jersey. A first for the rider who, at 33, is competing in his last Tour de France and is finally seeing life in yellow.
“When we woke up we were a bit tired because we had a bit of a drink last night,” smiled dad Philippe, this Sunday morning on RMC. The nights are a bit short for the big Bardet family present on the Tour route, determined to follow the DSM rider whenever they can, but who did not yet fully appreciate the scope of the feat. Historic.
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A victory that will be remembered
“We’ll realize it later, with hindsight,” imagines Philippe Bardet, who didn’t expect such fireworks from the first stage. “We knew he was going to try, but to do such a feat, no.” Will he be able to repeat it today, in a stage that promises to be eventful up front? “He has nothing to lose. He runs freely, he tries, that’s how it succeeds. We’re not on the defensive so as not to lose seconds. It was a mentally exhausting race to maintain a top 10 every day, that’s not his nature. Yesterday, it passed, let’s hope it continues,” prophesies the father.
But whatever the outcome of the Tour from now on, for Romain Bardet and those close to him, this first stage of his last Tour de France “will remain in our memories”. “We’re making the most of every moment. He’ll do his best. Afterwards, we’ll see, it’s not up to him.”
QM, with Rodolphe Ryo and Léna Marjak in Cesenatico (Italy)
