Romain Bardet’s Heroic Performance Earns Him the Yellow Jersey at the Tour de France

Future retiree, Romain Bardet shone in the first stage of the Tour de France, successfully completing a heroic breakaway to claim the yellow jersey.

A victory and two heroes, as Romain Bardet owes much to the dedication of Frank Van den Broek. 51 kilometers from the finish, on the San Leo climb, Bardet tucked in behind his teammate who launched the decisive offensive by joining the current breakaway. Once freed from Valentin Madouas, the two partners managed to resist the peloton’s return until they reached the shores of the Adriatic, finishing with just a 5-second margin at the line. The Auvergnat rider, in his last Tour de France, wins his fourth stage and has the honor of wearing the Yellow Jersey for the first time in his career after having finished on the final podium twice before.

The scenario of this first stage of the Tour de France 2024 defied predictions that anticipated a sprinter’s victory from a group of strong riders. However, on this demanding route with 3600 meters of positive elevation gain between Florence and Rimini, it was ultimately a skilled climber who managed to prevail by relying on audacity.

199.2 km awaits the riders tomorrow for a stage with no significant elevation along the route, but which promises to be thrilling for the entire French community that will support their hero in his quest to bring the yellow jersey back to Bologna.

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