Romain Bardet, one of France’s most celebrated cyclists, is
nearing the end of his illustrious career, and the 2024 World Championships in
Zurich marked his final participation in the road race. Bardet, known for his
aggressive racing style and remarkable consistency in Grand Tours, finished
10th in a brutal race, behind the seemingly invincible Tadej Pogacar, who
claimed victory with a stunning 100-kilometer solo attack.
Earlier this year at the Tour de France, Bardet experienced
one of the biggest highlights of his career when he won the opening stage,
earning him the iconic yellow jersey for the first time. Although this World
Championship didn’t yield a podium finish for Bardet, his 10th place is a
testament to his enduring strength and determination. He previously finished
second at the World Championships in 2018, securing a silver medal.
After the race, Bardet spoke to Cyclism’Actu,
reflecting on the challenge of his final World Championships. “It was one of
the hardest races of my career,” Bardet admitted.
Looking ahead, Bardet has already set his sights on a new
chapter in his career. After competing in the 2025 Critérium du Dauphiné, he
will transition to gravel racing, an increasingly popular discipline that has
attracted many former road cyclists. For Bardet, it marks a fresh challenge as
he begins to wind down his time on the WorldTour circuit.
Bardet’s contributions to French cycling have been immense,
and while his road racing career may be coming to a close, his passion for the
sport will continue to shine in this new and exciting phase.
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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- Where Merckx just rode every single race he could and won all the time, Hinault won less often (percentage wise) because he was more judicious in what he raced. His palmares are nuts. He had amazing rivals, one to start his career and another to end it in the grand tours. His classics were solid. What sets him apart from Merckx and Pogačar are that he basically dabbled in the classics while the other two love(d) them. I used to compare Pogačar to Hinault for his grand tour record and occasional classics win, until I realized that the comparison was wrong. Pogačar loves the classics - ah, the memory of his reaction to finishing fourth in a 2 person sprint in Flanders in ‘22: utter domination in any one day race since then, even when he doesn’t win. Hinault lived for the grand tours and I don’t think anyone else will ever reach his record. 10 wins in 13 attempts? Good lord. An amazing rider. Wish there was more footage to watch.RidesHills11-11-2026
- I had no idea about that either.
santiagobenites10-11-2026 - great analysis thanks! appreciate you posting this. I didn't realize CX had a different standard for deviation. this is even more egregious it seems.mij10-11-2026
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- Giro or not Giro, he won't win the Tour!MajorPayne10-11-2026
- Very true.awp10-11-2026
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- Me too!!!!!Occam10-11-2026
- they can sign any 100 of top riders today but Pogi will win over Remco any time at the TDF unless something goes wrongabstractengineer10-11-2026
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