"It's engaging for me": Romain Bardet finds new balance in life on gravel and wins his first race of 2026!
Gravel
Romain Bardet's road career came its conclusion last June at the home stage race Critérium du Dauphiné (now known as Tour Auvergne - Rhône-Alpes). However the 35-year-old climber who stood on a Tour de France podium twice in his career still feels too fresh to simply sit idly and enjoy his retirement. Instead, Bardet immediately turned his attention to the growing market of gravel and ahead of this season joined the Factor Racing team backed by the bike manufacturer.
That Bardet hardly lost any of his talent while crossing over from another discipline was clear from the first moments as he won two World Series races already in 2025. However the World Championships in Maastricht weren't Bardet's ideal race.
Rather than resentment, this "failure" visibly gave Bardet new motivation into training as he kicked off 2026 with a dominant victory in Australia's RADL GRVL where he took on the best local riders as well as some of the US gravel scene stars including fellow ex-pros Alexey Vermeulen and Ian Boswell.
Bardet gave neither of them the slightest glimpse of chance as he crossed the line with nearly full minute of advantage over runner-up Cameron Jones (New Zealand). Former Visma rider Vermeulen completed the podium further minute down the road.
Finding balance
In a team interview following signing his contract to Factor Racing, Bardet said he would be treating gravel with respect, "otherwise you get your ass kicked every weekend". Equally, he said he was looking forward to rediscovering the joy in riding, and racing, a bike, following the pressures of the WorldTour.
"I wanted to get the balance back," he said. "I ride bikes for myself first, because I enjoy it. I am really happy to be lining up at the races this year because it’s engaging for me. I am looking forward to travelling to some different places to explore and enjoy the different things that come along when you are riding your bike."
Romain Bardet already showcased his gravel skills during road career at races such as Strade Bianche
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses 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.
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