As an up and coming French rider, with heaps of potential, riding for a French team, ASO were keen to present Romain Bardet’s chances ahead of Paris-Nice. Their pre-race press releases included an interview with the Frenchman, who claimed he was growing into the team leadership role and relishing a shot at the yellow jersey. But, of course, it did not work out like that. Bardet was caught behind a split on stage one and after a puncture at a crucial time on stage five was left to serve out the race as a domestique for Carlos Betancur.

However, it was not without good reason he was being bigged up before the ‘Race to the Sun’ and he proved it on Vallter 2000. With Betancur having abandoned the race overnight, Bardet is, alongside Domenic Pozzovivo, a natural replacement as leader for Ag2r-La Mondiale, and he responded with a stunning display of his climbing talent. Rodriguez, Froome, Contador and Quintana make a formidable quartet but not only did Bardet match them on the fierce ramps of Vallter 2000, he beat them. Bettered only by Tejay van Garderen on the stage, perhaps it is much too early to be writing off Bardet’s 2014 chances.