Cycling news - Romain Bardet considers Team Sunweb switch

The 29-year-old athlete has been rumoured with a move to Team Sunweb after Tom Dumoulin switched to Jumbo-Visma.

Bardet is a lifelong AG2R rider as the Frenchman rose up through the team's development programme located in Chambery in South East France. After almost a decade at the team he could move on, with a lack of certainty indicated by new AG2R contracts for Oliver Naesen, Alexis Vuillermmoz and Benoit Cosnefroy, but no new deal for Bardet.

Speaking to La Montagne newspaper, he said: "I'm reflecting on things. I'm still thinking about if I stay or if I leave. We're looking at the details, nothing has been decided.

"I'm at the key point in my career where I've acquired quite a bit of experience but I've also got some good years ahead of me to do as well as I can. We're carefully thinking about what is best for me, with AG2R or with another team. I'm at a point in my career where I think it's only right to have these thoughts."

Bardet explained to the paper that he would change his approach to the Tour de France.

"I don't want to take on the Tour as I have done for seven or eight years. I'll prepare for it well but I don’t want to make any plan or set any goals," he confirmed.

Last year, I had a lot of expectations and I was left disappointed. Even if winning the polka dot jersey was satisfying, I didn't enjoy it all very much. I really want to be in the action at the Tour, to raise my arms in victory. The plans of the past allowed me to twice finish on the podium but that didn't work out in 2019.

"I'll be more aggressive, I won't focus on the general classification, I'll turn-up without pressure on my shoulders. I have a special history with the Tour and now I want take this as an opportunity to mix things up. My mind was not set on the Tour de France this season."

A report in Cyclingnews suggests that Team Sumweb have a firm interest in Bardet. His agent Joona Laukka told the website:

"He’s looking for other options but one option is also to stay, so we’re not in the situation that he’s saying that we will definitely change teams. We will start with AG2R, let’s say, the final negotiations soon, because we are waiting to hear their sporting project for the coming years.

"We know they will offer a contract, but we wait to start real negotiations. They have also some things going on, they are working on what they want to offer to Romain - not only financially but the whole project. They haven’t presented the whole proposal yet. They have the will to continue with Romain - that’s been clear for some time, and has never been in doubt. It’s really about the project in the coming years in the team."