'Like you're not even one of his rivals' – Romain Bardet highlights Tadej Pogačar's crushing superiority

2024 Liège-Bastogne-Liège: runner-up Romain Bardet congratulates Tadej Pogačar on his victory
2024 Liège-Bastogne-Liège: runner-up Romain Bardet congratulates Tadej Pogačar on his victory (Image credit: Getty Images)

Veteran French star Romain Bardet has provided a telling analysis of Tadej Pogačar's crushing superiority in the 2024 season, saying that the UAE Team Emirates racer dominated some races so completely that Bardet "knew" beforehand that the Slovenian would win.

Set to retire from road racing next June, Bardet has claimed two podiums and four stage wins in the Tour de France during his career. His most recent success in the Grand Boucle was a stunning two-up stage victory alongside DSM-Firmenich-PostNL teammate Frank van der Broek in Rimini on the opening day of the 2024 race in Rimini.

Alasdair Fotheringham

Alasdair Fotheringham has been reporting on cycling since 1991. He has covered every Tour de France since 1992 bar one, as well as numerous other bike races of all shapes and sizes, ranging from the Olympic Games in 2008 to the now sadly defunct Subida a Urkiola hill climb in Spain. As well as working for Cyclingnews, he has also written for The IndependentThe GuardianProCycling, The Express and Reuters.