Romain Bardet: "I'd like to be in the fight for a stage win."
June 5 th 2025 - 12:01
After nearly fourteen years in the professional peloton, Romain Bardet has decided to bring his career to a close at the Critérium du Dauphiné — a race he says “holds a special place in my heart.” As he lines up for his eighth appearance, the leader of Picnic PostNL opens the memory vault: a memorable stage finish in Courchevel in 2014, his lone win in Pra-Loup in 2015, and battles near the top of the general classification in 2016 (2nd) and 2018 (3rd). The rider from Auvergne, who will experience an emotional stage start in his hometown of Brioude, is still aiming high for the coming week: a final victory would be a fitting end to an already decorated career.
Romain Bardet, you’ve approached this season without putting a countdown in place — but now that your farewell is near, do you find yourself counting down the days?
I’m well aware that, if all goes smoothly, I only have eight race days left. The end is near. But I’m completely at peace with that, because I’ve been able to stick to the timeline I had in mind. Everything’s going as planned. I’m genuinely happy to be back at the Dauphiné. I haven’t raced here since 2020, which was a special edition in September with just five stages due to the COVID-adjusted calendar (6th overall).
What are your thoughts on the Giro, where you ultimately missed out on the stage win that still eludes your record?
Last year, I finished ninth at the Giro, but I didn’t come away satisfied, fighting just to hang onto the tail end of the Top 10 without really influencing the race wasn’t fulfilling. I’ve done plenty of that in my career already. This year, I felt stronger, but things didn’t quite come together on the key days. That’s just how it goes sometimes. I’ve raced the Giro four times and finished second on a stage four times, it’s not going to change my life or how people view my career. What stood out to me again was just how deep and demanding a Grand Tour is. I also realized that my best years are truly behind me. I can’t rely on flashes of boldness or last-minute gambles like I used to. And I’m totally fine with that.
“On the final weekend, things can go completely off-script and the leaders can end up isolated — it makes for spectacular, thrilling racing, even from the inside.”
You decided a while ago that the Dauphiné would be your last race. Why this one in particular?
I wanted to ride a final Giro, as it’s the Grand Tour that’s suited me best, especially after the Tour de France I experienced in 2024. I was lucky enough to choose the race where I’d bow out, and the Dauphiné felt right. It’s a race that means a lot to me personally, and everything has lined up perfectly for it to be a fitting end. I think I’ll enjoy these final pedal strokes more at here, where I can still play an active role, than I would at the Tour.
You had standout moments at the Dauphiné right from your debut in 2014 — especially that chaotic final stage to Courchevel where Andrew Talansky took the yellow jersey from Alberto Contador, while you claimed 5th overall and 2nd on the stage....
That was the first time I thought, “I love cycling like this.” And it’s the kind of scenario that the Dauphiné makes possible. You have to remember, back then, races were often tightly controlled by two dominant teams. But the Dauphiné had this unpredictable magic, on the final weekend, things could go totally haywire, and leaders might find themselves isolated. It created incredible, edge-of-your-seat racing and you felt that from inside the race, too.
The following year brought your first major victory in Pra-Loup, with a downhill attack followed by a solo ride to the finish. How significant was that in your early career?
That win turns 10 years old this year, it really brings things full circle. It gave me the confidence to go on and win again at the Tour just weeks later. I wanted to express myself that way on the bike. Crafting a win with that kind of scenario is what I’m most proud of. And my Tour stage win in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne came the same way, only that time I wasn’t among the GC favorites, just in the breakaway. 2015 was a really pivotal year for me.
The Dauphiné is also where you finished on the final podium in 2016 (2nd) and 2018 (3rd), behind Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas. Did those results make you think you could win the Tour?
Not exactly. But in 2016, I do think it was a mistake to not seriously targeting the overall win. On the Saturday stage, I attacked on the Madeleine and had a bit of a duel with Thibaut Pinot up to Méribel. In the end, I missed the win by just over twelve seconds. That was probably the closest I ever came to winning a major stage race. It brought me a lot of joy in my career. With the Tour, the emotions are a rollercoaster over three weeks. The Dauphiné was always more consistent for me, it validated the work I’d done and usually set me up well for July.
At the 2025 Dauphiné, do you hope to once again play the role of a stage hunter, as we've seen from you since last year?
I’d love to, but I also have to be realistic — I don’t know how I’ll respond to the Giro-Dauphiné double. Right now, my only focus is recovering as much as possible before the start and hoping for the best. Apart from the Tour, this is the most stacked start list of the year. The best riders in the world will be here. So, I’m hoping there’ll be a moment this week where I can go for a stage win, that would be special.
“It’s time to finally unpack my suitcase... This time, I’ll really empty it and put it down.”
There’s a stage start in your hometown of Brioude — have you previewed that one?
I haven’t done any recon, but I know the roads like the back of my hand, especially on the final weekend, there isn’t a single climb I don’t know. There’s a stage starting in Issoire, near Clermont-Ferrand, and I wish the final part of that route was a bit tougher, because a strong breakaway early on could make it a great race. One of the final climbs, the Côte de Nonette, is a place I’ve been riding for over 20 years. It was the farthest we’d go on training rides when I was 12. It’s not a hard climb, but we used to race up it between ourselves. And now my dad, who coaches young riders at the VSB Brivadois, often takes them there to attack it at full gas. It’s a nice place.
So your sights are set on the mountain stages at the weekend...
Combloux is probably the only realistic shot for me. UAE might already be dominating by then, but Saturday and Sunday will likely just be about survival for me. I’ll give it my all, but there are too many unknowns. Up front, the best guys are flying, and they’re hungry — many haven’t raced since Liège or even Paris–Nice. So the opportunities to shake things up will be few and far between.
And once you cross the finish line in Val Cenis — what’s the first thing you want to do in your new life?
It’s time to finally unpack my suitcase. It’s always been packed and ready with my race kit, always prepped for the next trip. But this time, I’ll really empty it and put it down. I’m ready to stop organizing my days around training and start nourishing myself in other ways. From now on, a successful day won’t depend on what I need to do for the next race.