The Frenchman of the DSM team evacuated the disappointment of second place at the top of the Blockhaus on Sunday when he let slip a masterful opportunity to win a stage in the Tour of Italy for the first time.
Under the sun of the Adriatic coast on Monday, he spent the day quietly resting - "A morning bike ride, the massage and a little barbecue," he said.
The Auvergnat also answered a few questions without planning too much on his final ambitions.
Even if he found the very high level which made him a rider present twice on the podium of the Tour de France (2nd in 2016, 3rd in 2017) when he wore the colors of the team of his debut (AG2R La Mondiale), who left at the beginning of last year.
"I have experienced a lot on the big tours, great joys, disappointments, I now take things as they come, without taking my head", says the rider from Brioude (Haute-Loire).
"So far it's going well."
In reality, the indicators are all green for Bardet, entitled to aim for the final victory that no Frenchman has won since Laurent Fignon in 1989. But he does not want to decide until then: "I feel good, everything is going well, it's a very good start but we're not halfway through the Giro yet!"
"For now, everything is okay"
In nine stages, the number of his opponents for the podium has been reduced.
Tom Dumoulin (winner in 2017) has abandoned all ambition, the Dutchman Wilco Kelderman (3rd in 2020) and especially the Briton Simon Yates (3rd in 2021) have lost their footing on the slopes of the Blockhaus.
Bardet, only 14 seconds behind the Spanish pink jersey Juan Pedro Lopez, was able to check the level of the Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz and the Spaniard Mikel Landa, the two who were at his height on the demanding climb. du Blockhaus, as well as the efficiency of the Portuguese Joao Almeida and the return to form of his former team-mate, the Australian Jai Hindley, which deprived him of the coveted stage success.
Romain Bardet (left) came close to victory but had to bow to Australian Jai Hindley (right) at the top of the Blockhaus, where the finish of the 9th stage of the Giro was judged on May 15, 2022 Luca Bettini AFP/Archives
"We always said that we came there for the general classification", recognizes the Brivadois.
"But if I can win a stage by passing... I got close, hopefully I'll get another chance to raise my arms."
And thus join the 21 runners in activity winners on the three big tours (France, Italy, Spain).
He will probably have to wait a few days, make way for Arnaud Démare (already winner of two stages) and a few others due to the low profile of the second week for the general classification.
Before repositioning and also taking into account his team, a priori less armed than Ineos de Carapaz or Bahrain de Landa to control the race.
"The next four stages can have pitfalls, we will have to remain attentive", he notes, favoring Saturday's stage (Turin), "harder than the mountain stage the next day".
On the strength of an experience accumulated since his debut in 2012, Bardet wants above all to be realistic at the age of 31: "I have more than ten grand tours now behind me. I know what to expect, I know that everything can change. For the moment, everything is fine and I am happy."
© 2022 AFP