"He leaves without regrets because he did his best": what will remain of Romain Bardet, such a reserved champion?
The 33-year-old rider is preparing to leave the peloton. Twice on the podium in the Tour de France, the discreet champion finally let his emotions speak, further touching his fans.
By Christophe Bérard , special correspondent in Montluçon (Allier)One last ride on a paved road traced by others before finally giving voice to his desire for exploration and escape. After fourteen years in the professional peloton, Romain Bardet decided to retire after the Critérium du Dauphiné. His hometown race, and in the middle of the season. An atypical choice for a champion who never embraced the codes of his era.
And who always took roadside glory for what it was: a gentle wind that can change direction very quickly. "Romain, however, has the best French record in the general classifications of the Tour de France since Bernard Hinault , and we sometimes forget that," notes Vincent Lavenu, his former boss at AG2R. "He's the only one to have achieved two podiums (2016 and 2017)."
Le Parisien
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