Romain Bardet maintained that he will share the AG2R La Mondiale leadership at the Tour de France with Pierre Latour and expressed hope that the event will be an ideal preparation for the World Championships in Martigny.

Bardet, who was on the podium in 2016 and 2017, had initially opted to miss the 2020 Tour in order to combine the Giro d'Italia with the Tokyo Olympics. However, after a series of postponements and cancellations due to the coronavirus outbreak, the race calendar was drastically changed and Bardet will now take on the Tour, which will be held from August 29 to September 20. [Bardet told L'Équipe magazine (opens in new tab), "This was a blow to the sponsors and to the entire cycling economy." It is a legitimate request and completely in line with my state of mind. I'm a competitor and I couldn't imagine spending September at home, it's the best preparation for the World Championships on September 27.

Despite winning the mountains title in Paris, Bardet endured disappointment when he had to settle for 15th overall in the 2019 Tour. He was cautious about whether he would go for the overall in 2020. "At the World Championships, the best rider may not be the one who competed for GC at the Tour, but rather a climber who didn't have to fight every day but was able to 'rest' for a few stages," Bardet said.

Pierre Latour, who won the white jersey for best young rider in 2018, was originally slated to be the lone GC leader of AG2R La Mondiale at the Tour, but Bardet is focused on the Giro. Both riders are now scheduled to race together in September.

"I can't talk about the hierarchy, it's not something I can talk about. You can see how the team is built now, and it is good to have some cards on the table," Bardet said. 'I don't step on Pierre's toes and he doesn't step on mine. We complement each other and work very well together. In any case, the race is not on our shoulders."

Bardet has been with AG2R La Mondiale since turning pro in 2012, but his contract expires at the end of this season and there are rumors that he may move to Sunweb in 2021. He told L'Équipe that he has not yet decided on his future.

"I have had time to think, but nothing has been decided yet," Bardet said. 'The deliberations are continuing. It is normal to wait until the competition resumes to draw final conclusions and plan other things. The season hasn't started yet. ......"

Le Dauphiné Libéré (open in new tab) reported this week that Latour will likely leave AG2R La Mondiale for Total Direct Energie at the end of 2020, but Latour himself insisted that his future is not yet set. He said, "I am in negotiations with several teams, and like AG2R La Mondial, Total Direct Energie is one of the possibilities.

Bardet and Latour will resume their season on August 1 at La Route d'Occitanie.