Romain Bardet believes that the 2018 Tour de France route suits him better than this yearīs race, but added that there is plenty of work to do to make sure that he is in the shape to back that up. Bardet finished third in July, 2:20 behind Chris Froome (Team Sky), his second visit to the Tour podium in as many years. With the short, punchy stages, bruising mountain tests, downhill finishes and a hilly individual time trial, Bardet stands a clear chance of making it three podium finishes in a row and it provides him an opportunity to try to rattle Froome from his throne. With just over eight months until the race rolls out from Noirmoutier-en-līIle, there is still plenty to do says the 26-year-old. `Yes, I think so but I have to do a big work rate to try to get to my best and to try to make it happen,` Bardet told Cyclingnews when asked if the route favoured him more than the previous offering. `It is a good balance between the marathon stages and the short stages it can make the race really interesting.`ADVERTISEMENT Bardet added that even with the dramatically different race route, Froome remains the man to beat as he looks to take his fifth title. `Whatever the parcours, he will be the favourite because he already won it four times. It is something really big and he has the best team for that and he is still the big favourites,` Bardet said. A touch of fear There were audible gasps from the audience and murmurs of interest from the riders as the route of the 2018 Tour de France was unveiled in the auditorium of the Palais de Congres in Paris on Tuesday afternoon. The camera panned to Bardet as the profile of the 200km test from Lourdes to Laruns on stage 19 was presented on the big screen. Unaware of the attention, Bardetīs expression betrayed a level of curiosity but a touch of fear and awe knowing what his legs would be put through in a few short months.
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
|
