After his victory in the first stage of the Tour de France, Romain Bardet was still amazed. Neither was his teammate Frank van den Broek, while Jonas Vingegaard and Wout Van Aert expressed their satisfaction.
At the end of a sensational number, well supported by his teammate Frank Van den Broek, Romain Bardet won the first stage of the Tour de France 2024 this Saturday in Rimini. “ I really can’t believe it. It wasn’t premeditated at all. I ran without any stress. » reacted the dsm-firmenich climber to the microphone of France 2
after his exploit. “It was very hard until the end. I owe a lot to Frank (Van den Broek, editor’s note). This jersey is shared. I had this stage in mind for a very long time, in the team we had given up on it. I’m very lucky that it was successful. I attacked on the hardest difficulty of the day, but Frank was huge behind. This is his first year as a pro. What a dream scenario. It’s incredible that it was able to work,” also rejoiced the first wearer of the yellow jersey.
Does Romain Bardet feel liberated this year, because of his last Grand Boucle, he who will retire in 2024? “Every time I came to the Tour, I was in a tunnel because of the pressure and expectations linked to the general classification. It ate away at me. (…) At 33, it’s never too late. I want to finish at the top, but This consecration is an additional sign that it is the right time to stop. It crowns my journey on the Tour for so many years, despite many frustrations. I rode the bike I love, with a great team, and you have to take advantage of it. » Hard to believe, his teammate Frank Van den Broeck didn’t really realize it either. “I just don’t have the words. (…) Maybe I’ll realize it in a few hours. But there, it’s impossible,” commented the Batavian on Eurosport.
Vingegaard: “My form is not bad”
“On the last climb, I was really at my limit. But when I saw the gap with the peloton, I said to myself that it could be done. I saw the peloton, they were right behind us, and my legs were hurting so much,” confided the Dutchman. Happy, Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) is just as happy. “I’m just happy to be here. It’s a victory in itself. I hope for the best possible result in the standings,” rejoiced the double defending champion whose terrible fall at the Tour of the Basque Country completely changed his season. I have worked hard and my form is not bad. I have done everything I could to be ready.. I have my own goals and then we’ll see. Of course, without the fall, I would have aimed for the final victory. But this accident changed everything. » The Dane completed the first stage this Saturday in 16th place, at the same time as the other favorites including his biggest rival, Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates).
Seriously injured after a fall on À Travers la Flandre, Wout Van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) also feels very lucky. “It’s obviously a shame that I didn’t manage to win, but considering where I came from, I didn’t expect to be here at this level, and it feels really good ” the Belgian savored with our colleagues from Cyclism - upon arrival on the shores of the Adriatic Sea. “Throughout the race I could see a lot of guys were hurting, and I still felt pretty good. So, little by little, I gained confidence, especially in the last four climbs. The first two were the hardest, so when I overcame them, I started to believe it. I also asked the guys to give their all for the stage victory. It’s obviously a shame that we missed that, but I’m really proud of my performance and the way we rode. » The sprinter and versatile rider from Visma-Lease a Bike therefore justifies the takeover of the peloton by his partners when the UAE Team Emirates slowed down.
