Romain Bardet prepares for final world championships: “I will remember these moments”

Romain Bardet’s career is approaching its twilight, and the upcoming World Championships will mark the final time the Frenchman competes in the event. After a career defined by grit and near-misses, Bardet will ride in his last World Championship road race with a sense of reflection and pride.

Earlier this year at the Tour de France, Bardet experienced a highlight he had never tasted before, winning the opening stage and donning the yellow jersey for the first time in his storied career. A rider known more for his climbing prowess and GC ambitions, this moment was a fitting high point in a career filled with hard-fought battles.

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However, Bardet’s time in professional road racing is nearing its end. After the 2025 Criterium du Dauphine, he will shift his focus to gravel racing, marking the next chapter in his cycling journey.

Speaking with DirectVelo, Bardet reflected on what these moments mean as he prepares for his swan song.

“I will remember these moments. There are phases in life that you have to accept. I plan to make my last wishes as a cyclist come true, which are to finish at a very good level and not get tired of the cycling environment.”

“I know these are the last pages, the last results. I know my career is 99 percent finished. I'm still having fun now, I look back with satisfaction on what I've done, so I'm focusing on the positive and that's worked well for me this year.”

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Bardet has a long list of accomplishments to reflect upon. The Frenchman won the mountains classification at the Tour de France in 2019, alongside four Tour stage victories across multiple editions of the race. He also claimed a Vuelta a España stage win in 2021, further cementing his status as one of the sport's elite climbers.

Despite these successes, Bardet came agonizingly close to a world title in 2018, finishing just behind Alejandro Valverde in a race where he now admits he might have done things differently.

“I would have liked to be the Romain Bardet of after 2021, then I would have done it differently,” he mused.

As he rides towards his final curtain call, Bardet leaves behind a career many can only dream of, while still wondering what might have been. However, with gravel racing on the horizon, the journey isn’t over yet for this incredible competitor.