Poole, Bardet and the points: Everything you need to know about Picnic–PostNL’s (GC) ambitions for the Giro

Poole leans back in his chair and asks how things are going. The 22-year-old British rider looks calm after finally showing his enormous potential on the podium's top spot at the end of 2024. In the Vuelta a España, he went all out on the attack and came close to winning a stage several times. In the Tour de Langkawi that followed, he took his first two professional victories, a stage win and an overall victory. "And that after crashing in the Vuelta on day 1 and getting ill on the first rest day. In the end, it all worked out."

Poole has started his third year in the WorldTour, but luck has not been on his side. After an excellent first year as a neo-pro (with fourth place inRomandie and Hungary, places just outside the top ten in the Tour of the Alps and Dauphiné and his debut in a Grand Tour in the Vuelta), he broke his elbow in the 2024 Tirreno. "It took a long time to recover, and I had to undergo some surgery. You have to be patient and focus on what you can do." And that's exactly what he did, immediately returning to competition with second place in the Tour of Burgos.

Poole had to apply the same mindset in 2025. He wanted to compete in the UAE Tour but rode in the Algarve due to personal circumstances. He finished thirteenth. He broke his collarbone in Strade Bianche, meaning we didn't see him again until mid-April in the Tour of the Alps, where he finished seventh. "We have a plan, but we saw last year that it doesn't always work out," he said in December, with prophetic powers. Like last year, he raced less but trained a lot with two altitude training camps. Unlike in 2024, Poole is now in top shape for the Giro.

Together with Bardet, the climber spent weeks at altitude on a mountain. "I love training camps. I had a longer winter for the first time because I was originally scheduled for the UAE Tour. That gave me some time to build up. The first half of the year will be all about the Giro. I won't be racing much, but I just want to make it to the start," he said earlier. "Going to the Giro with Romain and racing alongside him will be nice. We will be riding on his roads, and I don't take such big races with him for granted. I want to learn a lot."

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For Bardet, 2025 started just as badly as it did for Poole. The Frenchman is retiring after the Dauphiné in 2025 but started the year with another crash in the Algarve. He didn't suffer any broken bones but was in too much pain to continue. He returned in the Tour of the Alps. "This actually feels like the start of my season. I don't know where I stand in form, but I will do my best. The main goal is to be competitive in May," said the Frenchman on day 1. He could be quite satisfied after five tough days with a tenth place in the GC.

"My last altitude training was quite good. Of course, I've already done a lot. Still, I really appreciated that the team gave me time to recover after my injury and prepare myself for what's to come so that I can really be at my best," continued the climber, who is ready for his final weeks as a professional. Giro team coach Matt Winston agrees. "Missing two important guys for a few months is never good, but they've had a good altitude training camp and have bounced back. They're not in tip-top shape yet, but we don't want them to be; the Giro is three weeks long."

Bardet and Poole were also intended to ride the Giro together in 2024, but the youngest's broken elbow threw those plans into disarray. "I'm so happy that I've been able to spend so much time with Max over the past few months. We have pretty much the same program, and I missed him in the Giro last year. Hopefully, we'll avoid any setbacks now, and we can race together over the next two months," said Bardet. "We believe we can do well together, and I'll be there for him. We've spent six weeks at altitude, so it's nice to be racing together now."

The roles seem clear for May: "We're going to the Giro as leaders, but I'm also there to help Max with his development. It would be great if I could win the Giro, but my career is almost over, so it's also important that Max can grow a little faster." Poole: "Moments like these are key because you learn a lot from other riders in stage races. Like how Romain takes care of himself off the bike, reacts in races, or acts on the bus..."

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Winston speaks of 'a good vibe' ahead of the Giro, in which the ambitions are high. "We want to ride a good GC, even though we know there will be ups and downs. We should be able to compete in the top ten, but we also want to be in contention in the daily results. To ride a successful Giro and really compete every day," says the British team coach, who sees the bond between Bardet and Poole as very positive. "They have become good friends, and that brings out the best in each other. If you don't like each other very much and have to ride together at altitude for three weeks, that's not pleasant."

"We can now see how that relationship is growing and that they are working extremely hard. Romain is also very focused on helping Max develop as a rider," Winston continues. Because the development of Poole and his peer Oscar Onley is incredibly important for Picnic-PostNL, both men are under contract until the end of 2027 and will soon take over from Bardet. "It's not scary that I'll be one of the leaders when Romain retires. I'm looking forward to it, although we'll miss Romain. Hopefully, we can follow in his footsteps," says Poole.

Winston sees the young Giro leader as a great leader for the future. "Max can still make a lot of progress, and we have ambitious plans for him. He proved he could win a GC in a pretty strong field in last year's Tour of Langkawi. We've achieved that; we want to see him in the biggest races. Because we think he can compete with the best riders in the world. I wouldn't be surprised if he could show that early in 2025. We really want to take those next steps in the coming years."

"Max was still very young and reserved when he joined the team. It's a bit like you see him in interviews. But in the background, he is growing as a leader, feeling confident enough to contribute ideas and participate in discussions about the route to take. As a leader, you must also share your ideas with your teammates. Max is learning that now, but as a young guy, that takes time," he says. Poole: "After every race, your expectations rise, and I expect a lot from myself. But it's not that I dream of certain races. I want to discover myself in the rankings, but that also takes time."

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Poole sticks to the standard lines: get better, have faith in the process, and work hard. "I wouldn't say I have one weak point as a rider, maybe things off the bike where I can still improve," he says modestly. So Picnic-PostNL doesn't have to worry about the two time trials in the Giro. "I couldn't ride them last year because of my elbow, but we did a good job when I got back to it. I've made a step forward in time trials, and if I can focus on it, it can be one of my strengths."

Poole is thus emerging as a true all-around GC contender, while Onley is being played out even more in the week-long stage races. The 22-year-old British rider will be heading on the tour this summer, as he has great confidence. "We are also taking a very wide approach to Oscar's development. He's currently doing well in week-long stage races and on punchy finishes, but we expect him to make the switch to the grand tours. We protect Max and Oscar in their development and don't want to move too fast. Everything at the right time," says Winston.

"Max and Oscar are two completely different riders, so it's not for me to say whether one is further ahead or better than the other," he emphasizes. There is no pressure, just steady development. "We've proven that we can develop talent into new star riders, although you never know what the future holds. That's just the way modern cycling works. Maybe other teams will show interest; I wouldn't be surprised. But there's no transfer market, so we're focusing on their development, and we're on the right track. I'm not necessarily afraid of them leaving. They fit in perfectly with our team."

And so we can look forward to what's to come in the Giro and the Tour. That's necessary, too, because Picnic-PostNL needs to score UCI points very quickly for the WorldTour license from 2026. "We always struggle in the cobbled classics, where we don't score as many points as the teams around us. That's been going on for five years now, but we also know that we get into shape and take a step forward at this time of year. We have confidence in our process, but we discuss it internally. We just don't want to pressure the riders," says Winston.

Where other teams have let their riders race everywhere in recent months, Picnic-PostNL wants to really make its mark from now on. "We could have put Romain in Catalonia after his crash, but that would have been a choice made out of panic. We are sticking to our process, opted for altitude training, and believe the best part of the year is coming up for us."

Bram van der Ploeg (Twitter: @BvdPloegg | email: [email protected])