“It is good to be back racing in Italy" - Romain Bardet 9th on opening stage of 2024 Tour of the Alps
Cycling
Looking bright and attacking, Romain Bardet impressed on the opening stage of the 2024 Tour of the Alps. Although the stage win eluded him, a 9th-placed finish shows positive signs for the Frenchman.
“It is good to be back racing in Italy and it was a good opening stage for us I think," reflects the Team DSM-Firmenich PostNL leader in a post-stage interview with his own team's social media pages. "The guys rode well during the stage and we were there with numbers on the last climb. They positioned me well for the climb and going into the downhill, where I could lead the bunch on the descent."
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After attacking on the descent towards the finish line, Bardet actually dragged an elite group clear with him. As the leaders neared the finale however, Bardet missed the counter-attacking move that eventually saw Tobias Foss secure his first win since moving to the INEOS Grenadiers.
"In the finish it was tactical and I almost managed to make it into the front group," concludes Bardet, who like many at the race, is using the Tour of the Alps as preparation for the upcoming Giro d'Italia. "It’s a good step for the upcoming days here.”
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Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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That was a tactical and attacking finale with @romainbardet getting up for 9th place in the sprint👌🏻 #KeepChallenging #TouroftheAlps🇮🇹
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