Romain Bardet out to emulate Thibaut Pinot’s ‘super violence’ at Giro d’Italia

Frenchman to 'race every day like a Classic', as Fabio Jakobsen tips dsm-firmenich PostNL teammate Tobias Lund Andresen for success on tough sprint finishes

13:30, Friday 3rd May 2024

George Poole

Junior Writer

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Romain Bardet was the best of the rest behind Tadej Pogačar at Liège-Bastogne-Liège

Returning to the Giro d'Italia for the first time in two years, Romain Bardet leads the GC hopes of dsm-firmenich PostNL between Turin and Rome, but as with every other contender not named Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), the Frenchman is under no illusions that a singular focus on the general classification would be naive.

Instead, the 33-year-old is keen to approach the Giro with an aggressive tact, eager to hunt stage victories and see where that mindset leaves him when stacked against the rest of Pogačar's challengers.

"I’m not in GC mode. I’m going to take the race day by day. You can achieve a really good GC result in the Giro in a different way. We saw that with Pinot last year, what he did was super violent in the breakaway, gaining some time some days," Bardet told GCN and others in a pre-race press conference on Friday.

"For me, I don’t want to think about the next day. I want to race every day like a Classic. Every mountain stage is an opportunity to win. I’m not thinking about gaining time or saving for the next day. For me, that’s what could bring the best GC."

Part of the same so-called golden generation of French talents as Bardet that broke through in the early 2010s, Thibaut Pinot entered last year's Giro d'Italia with no ambitions of riding for the GC. But with his dalliances into the breakaway over the final two weeks, the Groupama-FDJ rider vaulted himself into fifth place by the end of the race in Rome.

It was to be the last Giro of Pinot's career, with the Frenchman hanging up his cleats at the end of last season. Similarly, Bardet is pondering his own future at the end of 2024 and with this freedom, the dsm-firmenich PostNL leader could ride his way to a first career top-five finish in Italy.

His debut in 2021 yielded a seventh position as the 33-year-old freshened up his racing calendar in his first season with the Dutch squad.

"It’s the kind of race where you can turn things around with long breakaway actions, with terrible weather… This is also why I came here," he said. "When you are really good in the Giro, it’s a race that’s a bit less locked than other Grand Tours.

"When you really have the will to commit, you can have more opportunities to have an impact on the race."

At the recent Tour of the Alps, Bardet placed inside the top 10 on all five stages and ended the race in fifth position, before the Frenchman excelled at Liège-Bastogne-Liège to finish second behind the dominant Pogačar. All eyes will be on the Slovenian for the maglia rosa, but Bardet carried his characteristic stoicism on the eve of the race.

"Hopefully I can reach a high level in the third week, if I haven’t lost too much time before that maybe I can end up with something great. But Pogačar is only one rider in the race so I don’t want to focus too much on him."

Fabio Jakobsen and Tobias Lund Andresen line up the sprints

Besides Bardet's ambitions in the mountains, dsm-firmenich PostNL will hope to be in the mix for victory on almost every day of this year's Giro. The time trials may prove tough to show face, but in Kevin Vermaerke the team have a great wildcard for the breakaway, whilst their intentions for the sprint finishes are clear to see.

The Dutch team invested heavily in replacing the departing Sam Welsford over the winter, with Fabio Jakobsen their marquee signing from Soudal Quick-Step. Jakobsen, a six-time Grand Tour stage winner, got off the mark for his new team at the Tour of Türkiye last week and his younger teammate Tobias Lund Andresen claimed three stage wins of his own.

"I think Tobi and also the team including myself are still seeing and looking out for how much he can grow," Jakobsen said of the 21-year-old. "He showed in Turkey that he is a winner and for sure, he is probably 10kg lighter than me so he will survive more finals than me for sure."

Jakobsen's comments were an insight into the team's strategy for the sprint finishes over the coming weeks. No doubt signed as a team leader, the Dutchman will have the first right of refusal for the flat stages and Lund Andresen was always mooted as a strong lead-out rider, but the Dane's performances in Turkey have earned him the trust of his teammates in his Grand Tour debut.

"When I drop, he has a chance and a big chance to also get in the mix," Jakobsen added, likening Lund Andresen to his former Quick-Step teammate Florian Sénéchal.

"So I think with him stepping up as lead-out for me on the pure sprint finishes when I have to put the top speed and power down, he is in really good shape to help me. But if I am unable to stay in the group or stay in the bunch then it is up to him. He is still young and getting to know himself."

With Bardet one of the fancied GC candidates, Jakobsen and Lund Andresen suited to the flat and rolling days, respectively, and the youthful contingent in the Dutch squad, dsm-firmenich PostNL are well set to colour this year's race.

For everything you need to know about the 2024 Giro d'Italia, from the history of the race to this year's route and start list, be sure to check out our dedicated race hub.