Frenchman Romain Bardet won the first stage of the Tour de France this Saturday, June 29. He is wearing the yellow jersey.
The first stage of the Tour de France 2024 surprised more than one observer. While the forecasts favored a massive arrival of sprinters within a strong group, it was a climber who defied all expectations. On a demanding course of 3,600 meters of positive altitude difference between Florence and Rimini, Romain Bardet won with panache, demonstrating extraordinary audacity and tenacity.
The scenario took shape 51 kilometers from the finish, on the formidable San Leo hill. It was there that Bardet decided to launch his counterattack, joining the initial breakaway and forming a winning duo with teammate Frank van den Broek. The latter, as a wise scout, had anticipated the movement and prepared the ground for his leader. Together, they were able to get rid of Valentin Madouas, the last companion of their breakaway, to then resist the fierce return of the peloton.
The first stage was very lively (© ASO / Charly Lopez)
The two men crossed the finish line on the banks of the Adriatic with a tiny but sufficient lead of 5 seconds, a gap which made all the difference. This victory gives Bardet a fourth stage in the Tour de France, a notable accomplishment as he competes in his final Grande Boucle.
But the triumph doesn’t stop there. For the first time in his career, Romain Bardet wears the Yellow Jersey, the ultimate symbol of the leader of the general classification. This long-awaited moment crowns a career marked by two podiums in the final Tour rankings. The Auvergne runner can now savor this moment of glory, proudly wearing the color yellow, emblem of success and perseverance.
This first stage of the 2024 Tour de France will be remembered not only for Bardet’s exceptional performance, but also for the emotion and audacity that characterized this day. A spectacular start to the Tour that promises an edition full of twists and turns and exploits.
STEP OF THE DAY
1. Romain Bardet (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) in 5h07’22”
2. Frank van den Broek (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL), at 0”
3. Wout van Aert (Team Visma | Lease a Bike), à 5’’
PROVISIONAL GENERAL CLASSIFICATION
1. Romain Bardet (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) in 5h07’12”
2. Frank van den Broek (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL), à 4”
3. Wout van Aert (Team Visma | Lease a Bike), à 11”
1932: A HISTORIC DOUBLE
The last time two riders from the same team took the first two places in a Tour stage was in 2022, when Wout van Aert won the Rocamadour time trial ahead of Jonas Vingegaard.
Excluding time trials, Mark Cavendish won ahead of Michael Morkov at Carcassonne in 2021.
But if we consider two riders from the same team who distanced the rest of the peloton on the first day of racing… We have to go back to 1932, when a Belgian duo, Jean Aerts and Joseph Demuysere, distinguished themselves on the way to Caen!
196: BARDET, FINALLY IN YELLOW
For his 11th and final participation in the Tour de France, Romain Bardet finally found the opening towards the Yellow Jersey! The Frenchman started 196 stages on the Tour… And he finished 20 of them in the top 3 of the general classification. At 33 years and 232 days, he finally took first place.
3: BARDET, LIKE ALAPHILIPPE
A Frenchman wearing the Yellow Jersey after the 1st stage – Romain Bardet imitated Julian Alaphilippe, author of the same performance three years ago when he won in Landerneau. Alaphilippe then gave up the jersey to Mathieu van der Poel during the 2nd stage. How far will Bardet go?
800: BARDET PUT AN END TO HIS FARNESS
This June 29 could have marked the 800th day without a victory for Romain Bardet… But the Frenchman found an opening in Italy, where he had already signed his last success, in the general classification of the Tour of the Alps 2022.
This is his fourth victory on the Tour, 6 years, 11 months and 16 days after the last one, in Peyragudes (12th stage of the 2017 Tour).
79.8: A DISHWASHED FINAL
With a gap of 1’40” at the top of the last climb of the day (Côte de San Marino, 26.3km to go), the victory of Romain Bardet and Frank van den Broek was anything but assured. According to NTT Data sensors, the duo flirted with 80 km/h on the last descent (maximum speed: 79.8km/h) and maintained an average of 53.0 km/h in the last 30 kilometers. Just enough to maintain a gap of 5” on the line…
1: A NEW LEADER FOR YOUTH
Entering his first Tour de France at the age of 23, Frank van den Broek is already making a big impression and is the first leader of the best young rider classification. The last rider apart from Tadej Pogacar to stand on the podium to receive the Maillot Blanc Krys was Egan Bernal, on September 12, 2020. Since then, the Slovenian star has led the best young rider classification for 72 consecutive stages (and he had already worn the jersey 3 times at the start of the 2020 Tour). But he is now too “old” for this competition… A new era begins!
10: SEE YOU IN 10 YEARS?
The first time Romain Bardet was among the top three in the general classification was in 2014, after the 13th stage. As for the last time Team dsm-firmenich PostNL experienced the Yellow Jersey, it was through Marcel Kittel, also in 2014. At that time, the team was called Giant-Shimano. And it had already won in the first stage, in Harrogate.
3: ABRAHAMSEN, NORWEGIAN PRIDE
With 13 points on the clock, Jonas Abrahamsen is the first Norwegian rider to lead the Tour de France mountain classification. According to NTT Data sensors, the 28-year-old Norwegian rode at an average speed of 23.0 km/h on the seven climbs of the day. He had already distinguished himself on the first stage of the 2023 Tour by taking the lead on the Morga Pass.
Abrahamsen is the third Norwegian to lead a classification in the Tour de France after Thor Hushovd and Alexander Kristoff, who both shone in yellow and green.
99.5: AN UNFORTUNATE FIRST
While taking part in his first Tour de France, Michele Gazzoli (Astana Qazaqstan) was forced to abandon the race just before the 100-kilometre mark. Quickly distanced from his leader Mark Cavendish, the young Italian is the first rookie to leave the Tour on his first day of racing since Hervé Duclos-Lassalle in 2008. The Frenchman had covered a similar distance before suffering a broken wrist.
2020-2024: RIMINI, FRENCH PROVINCE?
The last two winners in Rimini are French, since Romain Bardet succeeds Arnaud Démarre, who won the sprint during the 11th stage of the 2020 Giro. Sixty years earlier, Louison Bobet had won the 5th stage of Roma-Napoli- Roma in Rimini.
