French hopeful Romain Bardet (open in new tab) in the upcoming Tour de France (open in new tab) may be expected to fight alongside Thibaut Pinot to put an end to the country's 35-year wait for the yellow jersey. But after a disappointing 2019 saved by the polka-dot jersey, the leader of AG2R La Mondiale (open in new tab) said stage wins are now his goal for the Tour.

Bardet has two podium finishes in the race (second in 2016 and third a year later) and three stage wins, but has yet to wear the yellow jersey. That, too, is a goal, he said.

In a virtual press conference before his final Tour de France with the team he spent nine years of his career with, Bardet praised the parcours of the race, saying it was aggressive and offered plenty of opportunities to achieve his goals.

"The main goal for me this year is not the overall classification," Bardet said. 'I'm going to take advantage of the aggressive profile of this year's Tour de France and attack more, instead of focusing on waiting for the GC.'

"I've finished in the top 10 five times, but nobody remembers me outside of the podium. So here I want to look more aggressive and aggressive. The only way to succeed in the Tour de France is to win a stage and go for the yellow jersey. There might be some twists and turns, though."

"We will have to find a middle ground where we stay in the game for the yellow jersey, not too close or too far away on GC. I've never worn the yellow jersey and I think I have a good chance at the profile this year."

Bardet did not respond to suggestions that he might buckle down for a chance to lose time and attack unencumbered by the top-10 GC defenders. However, he said that if a top overall finish was out of the question, he would not hold back in order to maintain his top 10 position.

I don't know "voluntarily". In any case, if I knew I couldn't get into the top 5 or 6 in GC, I wouldn't hang on."

"At the Criterium du Dauphiné, the level of everyone was very high. If you lost 30 seconds or a minute one day, it wouldn't be a catastrophe.

"Actually, it's not up to me, I know there are two teams that can control the race in two days, Jumbo Visma and Ineos Grenadiers, and if they do, nothing major will happen and I will be bored."

"Now the course is planned to have action and movement, with the yellow jerseys changing regularly. We've got a real course that's ready for action."

The two teams mentioned by Bardet, Jumbo Visma and Ineos Grenadier, are likely to dominate the Tour, while team leaders Primos Roglic and Egan Bernal are the frontrunners to win.

With the COVID-19 pandemic causing three Grand Tours to be held over a 72-day period, competition among GC riders has intensified as many riders, including Bardet, have changed their schedules to compete in the Tour.

It is not because of this mix-up that Bardet has changed his Tour goals. Rather, he said he feels fortunate to be racing among such a high-level group of GC riders.

"As you know, the level is very high. The young riders are pushing it. But when I am at my highest level, I can fight. The Tour de France is an experience race that requires a lot of different qualities to fight through the three-week long race.

"I am lucky as a protagonist to be able to participate in such a "packed" Tour de France. In the Dauphiné I saw the beginning of the race. Behind him, elbow to elbow. The overall level is up, but I am optimistic that I can compete with them. "

Bardet will finish his eight Tour de France with AG2R by the end of September, whether he wins more stages or the yellow jersey.

Bardet will move to Team Sunweb (open in new tab) in 2021, but said the move will not change anything for the Tour. Instead, he said that the last Tour he will spend with the AG2R "family" will be more special than the previous seven.

"I will enjoy every moment more," he said. I feel like part of the family." I am not leaving AG2R La Mondiale. It doesn't complicate things; on the contrary, it makes every moment more intense."

"I'm full of energy and my form is better. I finished the Dauphiné in better shape than I started. I feel fresh because with the break in the season I won't start the race already fatigued. All the lights are blue."