What did Romain Bardet Say After his Victory on Stage 1 of the 2024 Tour de France?

 

Romain Bardet won a wonderful, exciting, and honestly exhausting (even for the viewer) Stage 1 of the 2024 Tour de France to kick of the Grand Départ and the top cycling race in the world. 

So, after great assistance from dsm–firmenich PostNL teammate Frank van den Broek, what did Bardet say in response to the victory? 

First, Romain Bardet praised his teammate, state that because "Frank was so strong, we were able to work together and go for it and he really deserves this win as much as me. I don't really have the words, it's sport." 

Then, when talking about holding the Maillot Jaune (a treasured piece of clothing) he stated that "It's certainly one of the goals I set for my career. I've been really close before. It's been within touching distance but I've never been able to do it. Today I just wasn't sure that it was going to be able to happen. But I had a great teammate with me. And I think when I reflect on this victory, I will look back and remember just how special it was." 

Regarding the high temperatures on the day (which certainly affected all riders on the day), Bardet noted that the "peloton was suffering from the heat, but I had done heat training. So, I grabbed an icepack and a bidon and went for it." Stay tough, Romain!

Finally, describing the tactics and tight finish, Bardet first stated bluntly that "it was just pure cycling. We are just two mates on the bike riding as fast as we can and going through pain. We knew it would be hard in the last 15km, but we got more confident as we went further and further." Then, by the end, it was simply that "you keep looking back and see the peloton coming but you don't really have time to think about anything. It's a total effort. It brings so much more because it was the only way we could do it today. I say we because he won as much as me today. It's just the way we wanted to race here." 

The words of a winner. It does not get much better than praise for his teammate and honest words on the difficulties of the day.

Get ready for Stage 2 from Cesenatico!