Romain Bardet "drawn a line under" heartbreak at Giro d'Italia

After a few rough years, Team DSM saw a reborn Romain Bardet. The Frenchman has focused on different races, with a new block behind him, and the form of his life. At this year's Giro d'Italia everything seemed to have clicked as he was fighting for the pink jersey, until distaster struck.

“I think it’s been a consistent season. Things slipped through my hands a bit from May and my retirement from the Giro," Bardet told Eurosport France in an interview. "In the end, it was good, very good at times, but without having the sparkle that there could have been if things had gone as we had imagined them in May,” he said.

Bardet abandoned the Giro on the 13th stage following a lot of stomach issues. After winning the Tour of the Alps the month before, and showing great form in the opening week of the Giro, he was sitting in fourth position when he abandoned, only seconds away from the lead. His abandon came as a shock, sudden to both viewers and from within the team.

“I’m not very comfortable talking about it, I’ve drawn a line under it," Bardet said of his disappointment. "There’s no point in trying to write the sequel to something that didn’t happen, but I was in optimal condition to do a great race. Everything was there, ready to go."

He returned however in the summer in time to race the Tour de France, where he finished in a strong sixth position with some strong and active performances in the mountains. “On my sporting level, it was a very good season. Now you always have to evaluate against the competition. I think I was present every time I was expected, but in the big races, except in May, there were always two or three riders above the pack. It’s difficult to shine in these conditions and it’s also the deal with current cycling," he said. 

2023 however promises to be another good year for the 31-year old, who will remain absolute leader in the Dutch team. “Physically, I want to take advantage of all the skills I have acquired. I will be on the lookout for opportunities to put myself in the same conditions as before the Giro this year."

“I’m not saying that there are no opportunities, but before the Giro, it’s six months of work. I need things like that to advance and be really good at what I do. The architecture is going to stay the same because I feel I have the fundamentals with me to get there. I’m going to target my grand tours based on the courses and my qualities," he concluded.