“My head was banging and I was really completely off the mark”, testifies Romain Bardet at the end of the 16th stage

Romain Bardet (Team DSM) had a difficult day between Carcassonne and Foix, Tuesday July 19, during the 16th stage of the Tour de France 2022. Fourth in the general classification at the start of the day, he finished 3’36 behind favorite group: “I was super feverish. I couldn’t accelerate and I had headaches. It was one of the worst days I’ve had in a while. It was a nightmare and I’m shooting a big hats off to my teammates who were there at the start and at the end. Thank you Nils (Eekhoff), Andreas (Leknessund) and Chris (Hamilton). Without them, I don’t think I could finish the stage”.

Did the overwhelming heat weigh on the body of the tricolor runner? “I do not know, replied the leader of the DSM team. I really didn’t feel well, I had chills, my temples were throbbing. It really was a terrible day and I didn’t see it coming. I hope to bounce back, the desire will be there. It wasn’t even the legs. Simply, I was completely lost. My head was pounding and I was completely off base.”