Tour de France: Bardet passes pavé test
Frenchman focused on high overall placing
Stage 5 of the 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Tour de France was 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Romain Bardet's (168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Ag2r-La Mondiale) first experience of racing on the pavé but it hardly showed as the 23-year-old arrived in Arenberg Porte du Hainaut with several of his GCℱ rivals including Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), Tejay van Garderen (BMC) and Thibaut Pinot (FDJ).
While Chris🧔 Froome (T🧜eam Sky) never made it onto the cobbles and Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) haꦉd mechanical problemꦺs, Bardet defended his 11th place𒁃 overall and sits 2:11 minutes behind Vincenzo Nibali (Astana).
"It was a cra🔥zy stage," he said. "I have never done something like this on a bike, it was really epic. I knew it would be a big fight from the start and Froome has paid the price. There were three inches of mud in the first sector, I even asked if I could get a mountain bike from a recreational cycling to have a bit more stability.
Despite asking for a change in bikes, Bardet remained upright on the slippery and muddy cobbles and also avoided falling on the flat wet roads which 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:claimed numerous victims.
Riding f💫or most of the stage with the Andrew Talansky (Garmin Sharp) group but behind Nibali, Bardet explained the treacherous conditions on the stage made a tough day in the saddle.
"I left the first sector with the first group, but I had to brake slowdown before the second sector," he said. "I returned to 40th po🐼sition and from there everyone was trying to stay on ꦐtwo wheels to keep their place. I have rarely seen such a slippery surface.
"Finally, I did not do too bad as I havꦇe no experience on the pavé. I felt good and limited the damage. I will take each day as it comes."
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With two ✅flat stages to come before the Tour makes its first foray into the mountains,✤ Bardet is still wary of losing time to his rivals due to inattention on non-GC days and is taking it day-by-day.
"Tomorrow there will be more stress, maybe a little less today but with the wind you never know," he said. "Even though I'm still up for the general classification I lost a little time to som⛄e direct rival﷽s for the Top 10. It is important to stay focused and vigilant in the Tour de France."
While Bardet consolidated his place at the po♔inty end of the overall classification, teammatཧe and fellow captain Jean-Christophe Péraud suffered a puncture on the cobbles and is now sitting in 24th overall, 3:29 minutes down on Nibali.