Stage 11 of the 2026 Tour de France looked destined to end in a routine bunch sprint, but what unfolded in the final kilometres left even Ned Boulting and David Millar almost speechless.
After the sprint teams controlled the race for much of the day, the breakaway was finally reeled in inside the closing kilometres as Picnic, Alpecin, Uno-X and Astana combined to set up the expected showdown. But the finale was anything but predictable.
How did it happen? Why did almost every sprinter get it wrong? And will we ever see a finish like that again? Ned and David break down one of the strangest bunch sprints the Tour has produced in years.
The episode also features a special conversation with Romain Bardet, reflecting on his career, his greatest Tour de France memories, and life after retirement.
Ned Boulting and David Millar break down Stage 11 of the Tour de France.
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32 Comments
Fantastic pod just gets better " Lovin Romain Bardet commentary on the motorcycle keep it up RB !!
Just bring the guys back on ITV4 and say no more about it.
Love seeing Romain on the pod!
I am amazed that Hannah thinks the teams are going to tell her what their strategy is.. Its irriating to watch. Great summary guys.
Watching the sprint, brilliant crazy result but no idea how that just happened, it’s ok, I’ll tune into the pod later and they’ll explain it to me – and you did, perfectly!
Søren Wærenskjold should be celebrated as the fastest man on earth on the same pedestal as Usain Bolt.
Somebody pushed the boat out on the backdrop 😂🎉
Fantastic interview with Romain! Really interesting perspective and an icon of the previous generation, thank you
David and Romain look like they are related…😁👍🚲🚲 a distant nephew…? 😁
Great interview and insights.👍
I noticed at 155km remaining, that Pete Kennaugh talking to the Astana team on race radio was included in the France Television coverage. In an earlier podcast he was wondering if and when he might be on air. Translated into a french summary from him talking in English as "On évite les accidents stupides, pas de risques". Great podcast again from Ned and David, also good to see Romain.
The interview makes you appreciate how tiny pro riders are, you forget when you see them in the peleton
America I daft or something. Why isn't the highlights on at 7? Was yesterday.
Romain Bardet!!! 😍😍😍
I think my excitement would have been bigger only if you had said you "bumped into" Gary Imlach 😉
In absolute agreement with you that Romain Bardet has always had a special place in this cycling fan's heart.
A lot of my interest in cycling comes from sports psychology – I draw a lot of inspiration from these men and women who have to navigate pain, fatigue, elements and the cunning hive mind of the peleton to achieve what they set off to achieve.
For that reason my favourite Romain Bardet moment (although probably not his) is the Roubaix stage of 2018 TdF. His face, covered in dust and sweat is what I think of when going gets tough for me. To this day I don't know if he was only gasping for air, or screaming a battle cry, yelling at the fate that he would finish that stage despite all the adversity that the cobbles were throwing at this featherlight climber.
A few years ago I added a photo of this anguished, fighting face as a profile for a cycling group (me being a polar opposite of a nimble climber) but felt compelled to change it to his incredulous, joyous and delighted portrait from that other TdF stage a couple of years ago 🙂
Vive les souvenirs! Vive les légendes!! Vive le Tour de France!!!
very eloquent and articulate interview from Romain! really enjoyed it
I was wondering today. Pogi in a sprint? Could he match the fast men? He has a decent kick. Another tick off the tour history making
Good to see an interview with Romain Bardet . Except for some brief interviews prior or after a stage it is the first time I have seen him interviewed in some depth . As we are in a few days dedicated to the art of sprinting can I nominate a piece of music (as in ITV Cycling days) which always reminds me of the frenetic chaos of the last few hundred meters of a sprint, especially if Mark Cavendish was involved. . 'Busted Bicycle' by Leo Kottke played on a 12 string guitar . It has the advantage of having bicycle in the title. https://youtu.be/A6aUWCSh4Cw?is=mGrf11yqWh0ACGPQ
Great to have an interview with Romain, really nice to hear his views on the tour.
Super interview with Romain: Thank you Ned and Dave.
Great episode, pub car park disagreements and fantastic interview with Romain who fitted in so well. Really enjoyable and I'm finding that you almost don't need to watch the programme on 5, just watch these guys to find out what happened.
Loving all this. It must be a strange year out on your own after so many years with ITV as boss – but please know, you are acing this. So much concise intelligent analysis. Can you maybe include a little preview of the next day’s stage?
Lol great banter guys 😂
I watch so many cycling commentary podcasts with analysis all over the place. I find your takes full of insight, important to my understanding of what’s happening and incredibly well informed ofc. Thank you ☺️
Great insight as always but feel like we’ve lost out twice in the UK with the Tour de France. No more itv coverage and no accompanying NSF podcast. Was expecting more of an immersive tour experience from what they had been promising
Great part two hearing Bardet remember his career
Love the 'set' .
Thanks, such a joy to have these podcasts.
No reason why you can't make things up on TV coverage, Carlton Kirby has made a career of it.
Good one. Especially with R Bardet. Couldn't hear the drill at all.
Aaah – perfect. Fight in the pub car park 😂. Mental stage for sure. Thanks for great pod and good laughs 😂🧢
ITV…you have made a huge mistake by dropping the Grand Tours and these guys.
These are the guys the Cycling fans want…the TNT coverage is annoyingly woke.
Sort it for next season….!
Please guys DON'T EVER CHANGE! The pub car park analogy was priceless, the insights on the race were "grown up" and Romain Bardet was a coup. (Didn't hear the drill at all!)
Simply the best chapeau to you and Romain