ROMAIN RUINS?

Amid the outrage and debate that followed Romain Bardet’s expulsion from Paris-Nice for an illegal tow by his team car in March, the point with the widest implications was possibly overlooked. The French journalists whom Bardet has frequently charmed throughout his young career have long held one doubt about the 26-yearold from the Massif Central: that he is too motivated, perhaps desperate to succeed. The theory goes that ambition is what French riders have lacked for generations, but that too much of a good thing may lure Bardet into mistakes.

The runner-up in last year’s Tour, Bardet is a consistent performer who will relish a route with the fewest kilometres against the clock since the first-ever Tour time trial in 1933. With Nairo Quintana likely to pay for his exertions at the Giro d’Italia in May, Bardet could end up being Chris Froome’s best-equipped opponent - and particularly vulnerable to the expectations of the French and press and public who have been waiting 32 years for a home champion. Staying cool under pressure, just like Bardet failed to do at Paris-Nice, will be crucial. It may be that he will have to exercise a little more patience with himself, keep some of his hunger in check, and display the sangfroid common to all Tour champions.