Romain Bardet: “I've never felt so strong on a bike”

April 21 ^st 2024 - 17:52

“I thought about 2018 in the finale, yes. In this race I was too often frustrated by missing good opportunities. This time, after the decisive attack on La Redoute, we had to be there in that second fight and get rid of as many rivals as possible. I had goosebumps on Roche-aux-Faucons because it’s a climb that I really like. I knew it was going to be important because I have already seen in the past that at this point we could take advantage of the situation. At that point 5 seconds can be enough, you just need to not break down mentally. It was to be expected that Tadej Pogacar would attack on La Redoute and we saw how strong he was. I knew at that moment that I was going to fight for the podium. I always believed it was possible, otherwise I would have stopped already. If I continue, it’s simply because I’ve never felt so strong on a bike. But my competitors are even stronger. In any case, finding myself on the podium between Pogacar and Van der Poel will make a beautiful photo that I can frame for my son."