Paris (AFP)

Romain Bardet will take part for the first time in the Giro d'Italia, whose departure is scheduled for May 8 in Turin, officially announced his DSM team.

"The Giro offers different racing scenarios and then going up so high with snow on the sides, these are images that we fantasize about, rightly or wrongly. It's a bit of a climbers 'paradise", s' Auvergnat is delighted in advance by videoconference on Wednesday since his altitude training course in Tenerife.

Bardet, who joined the German formation DSM in the offseason, was twice on the Tour de France podium (2nd in 2016, 3rd in 2017) but had dreamed of a pink jersey for a while.

"It was a desire for me to go to the Giro for some time," he insisted.

He had also planned last year, while still racing for the team of his beginnings (AG2R La Mondiale), to discover the Giro.

But the disruption of the calendar due to the pandemic had led him to review his plans and line up in the Tour de France, which he had been forced to leave prematurely due to a concussion.

In the Tour of Italy, the French (30 years old) will team up with the Australian climber Jai Hindley, second in the last edition of the Giro in October behind the Briton Tao Geogheghan Hart.

"We are going to present a great team turned towards the general classification with Jai and me, analyzes the triple stage winner of the Tour de France. We form a good pair. On either side, there is no really no ego. "

Since the beginning of the year, the Auvergnat has favored training courses with its new training, a "turning point in the way (s) of training": "To compete in fewer races, allows me more freshness and more in-depth work, "he says.

In competition, he notably took part in the Strade Bianche (20th) and Tirreno-Adriatico, where he took 8th place in the final standings.

His presence at the Giro, which ends on May 30, de facto prohibits him from taking part in the Critérium du Dauphiné which will start the same day from his department of Haute-Loire.

The start of the second stage, on May 31, is even scheduled in his town of Brioude.

He also does not plan to line up at Liège-Bastogne-Liège on April 25.

"I lost my desire with Liège, the final (modified since 2019) no longer suits me", regrets Bardet who was ranked 3rd in the Dean in 2018.

"It's better to put everything in place for the Giro rather than playing everything halfway. In the cycling of 2021, this is no longer possible", slices the Auvergnat who will prepare this great goal of his season with the Tour from the Alps from Monday.

The DSM team at the Giro (May 8 to 30):

Nikias Arndt (GER), Romain Bardet (FRA), Nico Denz (GER), Chris Hamilton (AUS), Jai Hindley (AUS), Max Kanter (GER), Nicolas Roche (IRL), Michael Storer (AUS)

© 2021 AFP