Tom Dumoulin fires back at Stef Clement's criticism: "I agree with Stef that Frank was stronger than Bardet, but I think it's completely right that Bardet gets to take the yellow jersey"

Frank van den Broek and Romain Bardet rode an absolutely perfect tactic and stage yesterday to make a one-two on the opening day of the Tour de France. The neo-pro van den Broek rode his heart out and looked the strongest on the day, but the victory was awarded to Romain Bardet which was not to the delight of former pro Stef Clement. This caused a wave of criticism towards his way because of the Frenchman's history; Tom Dumoulin does not criticize him but disagrees with the idea that Bardet shouldn't have been given the yellow jersey.

"This is a fourth stage victory for Bardet. That won't change his career anymore," Clement argued, neglecting the fact that Bardet, despite his many successes, has never actually worn the yellow jersey at the Tour, something he has been chasing for 10 years, being one of the most aggressive and popular riders in the peloton, supported by the French crowd. Clement stood by his compatriot arguing that "everyone saw that you were the strongest. As far as I am concerned, it is a real injustice, not as it should be."

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Naturally however these statements led to a lot of criticism of the former pro rider and that includes Tom Dumoulin, another former Dutch rider who fully supported the decision to award Bardet the victory on this day. "I almost always agree with Stef, but this time I really don't," Dumoulin said to De Avondetappe. "I think it's very right that Bardet takes the stage and the yellow jersey. There is talk there and their goal for years has been to go for the highest possible in the Tour with Bardet."

In his final Tour and after years of being a 'nearly man' at the Tour, finally Bardet gets to wear the maillot jaune, an extremely popular win which has warmed the heart of many cycling fans - the former AG2R rider gathers almost as much popularity as Thibaut Pinot due to his old-school type of racing. This bravery is exactly what rewarded him yesterday, as he was the only rider with the courage to attack and really make a difference in the peloton.

"They go for the yellow jersey and stage wins there. That has been the goal for years, with Bardet as the great leader. It's incredibly good how Van den Broek rides, but then after years of hard work you finally get to the position where Bardet is really going to do it... I agree with Stef that Frank was stronger than Bardet, but I think it's completely right that Bardet gets to take the yellow jersey," Dumoulin concluded.

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