Romain Bardet didn’t express significant disappointment with his second-place finish after the 14th stage of the Vuelta a España. The French cyclist had predicted hours earlier that Remco Evenepoel would distance himself, and he didn’t spare compliments for his breakaway companion’s performance after crossing the finish line.
Bardet and Evenepoel managed to break away from the leading group on the descent of Col Hourcère, and after that, the two rode together for over 80 km until the finish in Spain. “It was a very good day for me,” the French cyclist continued in conversation with Eurosport. “But yes, I was on the road with a legend. He did eighty percent of the work. It was really tough on his wheel. I had a lot of pain.”
“He completely imposed his pace on me. I’m completely empty. I was very close to the limit, although I still felt good. He was really much better today. After every turn, I had to accelerate to his wheel. He’s so aerodynamic that I could feel the wind. That’s Remco for you. I gave it everything.”
Finally, Bardet indicates that he has had several conversations with the Belgian in recent days. “I greatly appreciate him. We did talk, yes. Today we said to each other: let’s ride together until the end.”
