Special correspondent in Morzine
Sitting, stunned, leaning against a low wall, at the foot of a pylon, his jersey wide open, Romain Bardet tries to come to his senses. A bloody elbow and knee illustrate the violence of the fall which threw him to the ground after 28 km in the 14th stage of the Tour de France leading the peloton to Morzine. Quickly, the Auvergnat, surrounded by the medical service who carried out a rapid sequence of observation by lengthening him, was forced to give up. In tears.
12th in the general classification, Romain Bardet had hoped to shine at the end of the Tour. In the general classification and for the gain of a stage. The leader of the DSM team experienced his best emotions on the Tour (2nd in the final general classification in 2016, 3rd in 2017; 3 stage victories). And some pain. In 2020, victim of a concussion, he had finished the stage before being forced to retire.
The Briton James Shaw (EF Education) fell in the same place, a few minutes after the Frenchman, was also forced to retire. After 28 km of racing, 5 retirements (Chaves, Meintjes, Pedredro, Bardet, Shaw) had already been recorded.