How the bromance between Bardet and Evenepoel emerged: "I was one of the first to have my doubts"

Friendships within the peloton are not often as apparent as the one between Remco Evenepoel and Romain Bardet during the recent Vuelta a España. The Frenchman riding for DSM-Firmenich PostNL struggled mightily following the Belgian's wheel but spoke only with immense respect about Evenepoel afterwards. Bardet shared the origins of their friendship with IDLProCycling.com in Calpe.

In the Spanish race, the two demonstrated their friendship both during and after the event, but this extended into the months that followed. In mid-December, Bardet – who was in Spain with DSM-Firmenich PostNL at the time – posted a photo on Instagram of his son wearing an Evenepoel shirt while on a bike. "Meanwhile, a young cyclist at home is doing his thing," wrote the Frenchman. "I'm glad he likes the present, my friend," responded Evenepoel, who had given the shirt to Bardet during the Vuelta after the two spent the whole day on the attack.

"I know Remco, he's an attacker à la Eddy Merckx. He gives it his all from far out. He did eighty percent of the work. It was terrible in his wheel, and I suffered a lot. I had cramps and was completely empty. Even though I actually had a good day. However, he was much better than me," Bardet reflected after that day in the Vuelta. "I have enormous respect for Remco. We talked a lot and agreed to just ride to the finish."

Bardet was among the first to doubt up-and-coming Evenepoel

Bardet reveals in early 2024 that Evenepoel earned this respect all by himself. "To be honest, I was one of the first to have my doubts about him. I first heard of Evenepoel when I was talking to Julian Alaphilippe. He told me about a junior coming up who was going to win everything, and I was like: okay, that's at the junior level, we'll see about that in the WorldTour," recalls the Frenchman with a big smile.

"Then I saw him win in 2019 at Clasica San Sebastian, and that was really a 'bam' moment," says Bardet, illustrating his conclusion by holding his thumb under his chin. "At that moment I thought: okay, we've got someone here. But Remco has also changed, the arrogance he somewhat exuded back then is no longer there. He's a very respected cyclist, by all," states the Frenchman.

"We have a very good relationship," says Bardet. "We keep in touch, even during the off-season. I find him a really cool guy and I support him, because he has something special. All grand tour winners have that, but with him, it feels different," indicates the Frenchman. But why is that? "The path he's taken in his life and career... It hasn't been a steady upward line, but still, he has the aura of someone very special. He can afford to have bad days, even that," concludes Bardet, who will face Evenepoel for the first time in the Tour this coming season.