Bardet, in a file image.
It is the season of borrn and new account for Romain Bardet, a candidate for the Tour de France since he threatened to step on the Paris podium in 2014 and climbed to it in 2016 and 2017. After two editions in decline, he has decided to forget about the obsession of the Champs Elysées. Its 2020 program points to the Giro d'Italia and the Tour of Spain. He has not competed since he finished the last Tour, on July 28, in 15 position overall, his worst final classification, identical to that of his debut at the Grande Boucle, in 2013.
A change not less is that for the first time to compete in January, from next Sunday at the Critwalium Schwalbe, prelude to the Tour Down Under Australian (February 21-26). A premiere to be sad about the ecological catastrophe of a endless fire In the great oceanic country. Despite the speculations, not likely to be suspended this first competition of the WorldTour calendar.
“I am looking forward to putting on a race number and I am very happy to discover this race, much awaited and popular here, despite the environmental disaster affecting Australia today. We've seen some of the devastation in places near Adelaide and I hope that the race can give an even greater impulse to the global solidarity movement to help regions devastated by fire, “says Bardet. The French has been a close witness to the development of the crisis, since it has been in Australia since 28 from December, in the company of some cyclists of his team, the Ag2r-La Mondiale: Clment Chevrier, Axel Domont and Larry Warbasse.
“I have never debuted so soon in a season, but I think this race will offer me the best conditions for the quiet start of a great season, progressing day by day in short and mountainous stages,” he said from Adelaide.
SNOW FLEES FROM THE FRO IN BOGOT
Esteban Chaves He has been trying to convince his teammates of the advantages of preparing the season in Colombia for years. He even got to plan a training camp for his team to train at 3,000 meters before the Tour de France 2017. If you have not had great success in your crusade it has been due to physical problems Chavito has been suffering In recent times. But from time to time one of his companions appears to check the benefits of training around Bogot.
These days are with Navarra Mikel Snow, who flees from Navarre ice and discovers the new world, ideal for a second single. And, incidentally, to support a solidarity project of 'crowdfunding' launched by his Bogota companion to operate children with congenital orthopedic problems. It's close to getting the 200 million pesos (about 65,000 euros) marked as objective.
Snow, 35, will begin his 13 professional season and sports an immaculate curriculum as one of the best gregarious of the decade that ends. And also, when the leaders did not reach their objectives, they saved the furniture of their teams with agnica victories in marathon stages, especially in the Tour of Italy, their talisman career. His work during the last two seasons has made him deserving a contract renewal for two others, until the end of 2021. An extension that is not frequent among runners of their age.
“Just being here at this altitude is already a training,” the Leitza climber told Colombian classmates from Mundo Ciclstico. Some runners are already testing it. Last year, taking advantage of the celebration of Tour Colombia in Antioquia, leading runners of the Movistar Team, the Deceuninck Quick Step or Team SkyThey enjoyed these conditions to train and load power for a long season. Mark Soler, Alaphilippe, Enric Mas or Chris Froome, among them.
When on February 11 begins the third edition of the Colombian test by stages established in 2018 with the name Gold and Peace (already discarded last year) not to be Mikel Snow, because Mitchelton Scott is still not released in this race. S Esteban Chaves debuted in it, that run with the jersey of the Colombian national team a few days after participating in the national championships online and against the clock. By the way, in that platoon of the Tour Colombia be one of the two boys raised in the Esteban Chaves Foundation who have reached the WorldTour this season, Blond einer (Movistar Team). The other, Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain McLaren), have already debuted by then in the Tour Down Under.
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