"This year, I want to win the general of a race again" - Romain Bardet working for return to big wins and Tour de France GC

The main goal of the 2023 season for Romain Bardet is very clear. The Team DSM leader will be heading towards the Tour de France to fight for the overall classification where he has high hopes.

“This year, I want to win the general of a race again and it will be good to come back to the Tour de France to contest the overall classification," Bardet said in a press conference held at the team's presentation in Spain, where the riders are currently training. "Last time I rode the Giro before the Tour de France, but we want to focus only on preparing for the Tour with the best possible approach in 2023."

The Frenchman got a fresh breath of air into his career upon his move to Team DSM. The Frenchman has since won the Tour of the Alps and raced into 7th place at last year's Tour de France. Despite not reaching the podium as prior years, he argues that his level is higher than ever at the age of 32.

"I feel good in the team, it's going to be my third year with Team DSM. I'm an experienced rider now, but I notice I'm still making progress with this team. We changed a lot when I got here in terms of structure and program, so it was refreshing. I like the way we work and the way we hone and let's keep the balance in my program," Bardet argued.

On the day the Vuelta a Espana route was revealed, it made little difference for the Frenchman. Besides being a pure climber-focused Tour route, he has personal reasons to as to put all of his attention in the Grand Boucle.

"We will be spending many days in the area where I live and climbing the Puy de Dôme , where the race hasn't been for a long time. So it will be one of the biggest attractions of the next Tour. I live at the bottom of the climb and I'm very excited," he concluded.