Romain Bardet: Moving to DSM was exactly what I needed

Romain Bardet (Team DSM)
Romain Bardet (Team DSM) (Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images)

A year ago, Romain Bardet decided to leave the comfort and security of AG2R and move to Team DSM. It was a transfer that certainly raised a few eyebrows, not least because Bardet had spent the better part of a decade – his entire career to date – at the French squad, but after a lacklustre 2019 the 31-year-old recognised that a change in direction was needed.

Fast forward to the present and it's hard to argue that the specialist climber made the wrong decision. This year Bardet has looked back to his competitive best, with a dogged display at the Giro d'Italia, a stage victory in the Vuelta a España, and a string of lively performances elsewhere

Daniel Benson

Daniel Benson was the Editor in Chief at Cyclingnews.com between 2008 and 2022. Based in the UK, he joined the Cyclingnews team in 2008 as the site's first UK-based Managing Editor. In that time, he reported on over a dozen editions of the Tour de France, several World Championships, the Tour Down Under, Spring Classics, and the London 2012 Olympic Games. With the help of the excellent editorial team, he ran the coverage on Cyclingnews and has interviewed leading figures in the sport including UCI Presidents and Tour de France winners.