Romain Bardet: "I want to weigh in on the Tour, in the general classification or with victories"

Romain Bardet has done the bulk of his preparation for the Tour de France and he is now almost ready. As his compatriot Thibaut Pinot did at the Giro d'Italia, the leader of Team DSM isn't set on specifically focusing on neither stage wins or overall classification.

"Saturday, I felt completely empty, I wondered what I was doing there, on a bike. But the team was present, my teammates wanted to honor Gino," Bardet told L'Équipe. He was one of the riders present at the Swiss race and also one of the most vocal after the tragedy that has taken place, the Frenchman ultimately showed good form in the mountains and rode to fifth in the overall classification.

Last year the 32-year old rode to sixth at the Tour, a result that would be hard to improve, however DSM pulled off a surprise at the Giro with Andreas Leknessund which could positively influence the team in it's Tour de France tilt as the work behind the scenes as surely worked. Bardet is a rider who has in the past featured on the podium twice, won stages three times and also conquered the KOM classifications.

All three could prove to be goals depending on how the race goes. "I want to weigh in on the Tour, in the general classification or with victories, we'll see. Even if it's very difficult, I want to forget and refocus on my family before the Tour, which is always the height of tension and falls. It's important to turn the page because the climate has been very heavy," he concluded.