Top Banana: Tour de France stage 18 – Romain Bardet

Top Banana: Tour de France stage 18 – Romain Bardet

Bardet bounces back in the Alps, nabs a spotty jersey and lands a banana

Racing Romain Bardet rouleur magazine Team Ineos Top Banana Top Banana 2019 Tour de France Tour de France 2019


Give ‘em the old razzle-dazzle, razzle-dazzle ‘em.


Following yet another exciting stage in a truly memorable Tour, we are no nearer knowing who will top the podium in Paris.


Movistar put three riders in the break. What was their game? Launching a quality attack by Nairo Quintana to take the stage, of course. About time they did something right.


Another excellent Colombian, Egan Bernal, shot away on the Galibier to put himself firmly in the frame for the GC, gaining 32 seconds and leapfrogging Geraint Thomas on into second spot.


After Ineos lost their road captain Luke Rowe following his expulsion on stage 17, the performance of their hot young talent must have been a fillip. They are still very much in the game over the next two days in the Alps. The only question is which of the two has the best legs?


Arguably performance of the day came from the yellow jersey. Julian Alaphilippe looked to have finally cracked towards the peak of the Galibier. The opposition left it late to attack him, but with descending skills like Alaphilippe’s, the French favourite rejoined the fray and retained the jersey. How many more times he repeat the feat?


But Top Banana? It’s got to be Romain Bardet. He’s had a thoroughly underwhelming Tour thus far, struggling on the climbs when he should be battling for honours.


Plan B? Hoover up the mountains points and grab a polka dot jersey instead – no bad consolation prize. And he was second on the stage.


What’s that you say? You’re only picking him because he’s a Rouleur columnist?


Okay, we may be a tad biased. But it was great to see Bardet back at something approaching his best. Let’s see how he goes tomorrow.


Rouleur Top Bananas 2019:

 

Stage 1 – Greg Van Avermaet
Stage 2 – Tony Martin
Stage 3 – Michael Matthews
Stage 4 – Max Richeze
Stage 5 – Toms Skuiņš
Stage 6 – Geraint Thomas
Stage 7 – Wout van Aert
Stage 8 – Thomas de Gendt
Stage 9 – Jasper Stuyven
Stage 10 – Luke Rowe 
Stage 11 – Emanuel Buchmann
Stage 12 – Matteo Trentin
Stage 13 – Enric Mas
Stage 14 – David Gaudu
Stage 15 – Lennard Kämna
Stage 16 – Lotto-Soudal

Stage 17 – Kasper Asgreen

The post Top Banana: Tour de France stage 18 – Romain Bardet appeared first on The world's finest cycling magazine.

Racing Romain Bardet rouleur magazine Team Ineos Top Banana Top Banana 2019 Tour de France Tour de France 2019

READ MORE

‘We need to make her suffer more’ - How do you beat Lotte Kopecky?

‘We need to make her suffer more’ - How do you beat Lotte Kopecky?

Rival teams lament a lack of aggressive racing to put SD Worx-Protime under pressure at the Tour of Flanders

Leggi di più
'I don't think we made many mistakes': Visma-Lease a Bike almost nailed the Tour of Flanders

'I don't think we made many mistakes': Visma-Lease a Bike almost nailed the Tour of Flanders

Wout van Aert is without a victory in a cobbled Classic this season, but the Belgian and his teammates did everything they could at the...

Leggi di più
‘We are trying everything, it’s just not possible’ - Mads Pedersen and the Pogačar puzzle

‘We are trying everything, it’s just not possible’ - Mads Pedersen and the Pogačar puzzle

The Danish rider says Lidl-Trek tried everything they could to beat the world champion, but still came up short

Leggi di più
'We Can Do It': How a €4 gift made Lotte Kopecky the Queen of Flanders again

'We Can Do It': How a €4 gift made Lotte Kopecky the Queen of Flanders again

The world champion is up and running for the season and is now chasing a Flanders-Roubaix double

Leggi di più
Everything is perfect if you’re Tadej Pogačar

Everything is perfect if you’re Tadej Pogačar

Another bike race, another Monument win – all in a day’s work for the world’s best cyclist 

Leggi di più
‘It would be a shame to get stuck in disappointment’ - Wout van Aert is a fighter

‘It would be a shame to get stuck in disappointment’ - Wout van Aert is a fighter

Despite the criticism he has faced following his Dwars door Vlaanderen disaster, the Belgian is still motivated ahead of the Tour of Flanders

Leggi di più

READ RIDE REPEAT

JOIN ROULEUR TODAY

Get closer to the sport than ever before.

Enjoy a digital subscription to Rouleur for just £4 per month and get access to our award-winning magazines.

SUBSCRIBE