Ineos Grenadiers have opened the door to Egan Bernal competing on this summer season’s Tour de France, after the race’s former winner recorded his greatest consequence but since his life-threatening accident two years in the past.
Colombian Bernal completed third on the Volta a Catalunya on Sunday, the primary time he has climbed onto the rostrum of a WorldTour race since he crashed into the again of a bus in January 2022 in his native Colombia. His accident left him with various damaged bones, together with a fractured proper femur, and docs initially stated he had a 95% probability of dying or being paralysed.
Remarkably, Bernal returned to racing simply eight months later, and accomplished each the Tour de France and Vuelta a España in 2023. At the beginning of this season, he has made a fair higher step up in outcomes, ending within the high seven of the 4 stage races he has competed in.
No efficiency, nonetheless, has been as notable as his journey to second place on stage six of Catalunya, which pushed him up third general, a place he maintained throughout the closing stage in Barcelona. He completed 5 minutes and three seconds behind general race winner Tadej Pogačar.
Requested if that is the very best model of himself for the reason that crash, the 2021 Giro d’Italia winner stated: “It’s troublesome to say however now we will say that a few of my numbers are the identical or higher than earlier than my crash, however they’re not enough sufficient to win. Day by day, and yearly, I’m enhancing, and my energy is getting stronger.”
Ineos Grenadiers sports activities director Zak Dempster stated that Bernal’s performances within the first few months of the season are a sign that he can return to his earlier ranges. “This can be a man who has received the Tour and the Giro, and if you happen to return to the Egan of earlier than, going for a podium within the Volta a Catalunya was a traditional factor,” he stated.
“However he had a severe accident. There was loads of physio, rehab, and it’s difficult getting again to race at this stage. To be producing a efficiency like that is encouraging. He’s getting higher and higher.
“To talk frankly, he deserves to be with the very best within the sport. He’s bought the expertise, the work ethic, and he’s an instance for all riders. We’re additional away from the accident day by day, and now he is in a spot the place he’s contending for a WorldTour podium. He deserves it and it’s the place he needs to be.
“He can’t skip any steps and he’s gone about all of it in a humble method. He’s proud of the place he’s at, and he’s reaching his goal going into the race for a spot on the rostrum. However his ambition is much more than third within the Volta a Catalunya.”
Solely three WorldTour riders have raced extra in 2024 than Bernal, and his subsequent race is predicted to be the Tour de Romandie on the finish of April. Is it now possible that he can get again to successful top-tier occasions this season?
“When it comes to placing a definitive purpose on it, you hope all the things is feasible,” Dempster stated. “I’m fairly certain he’ll get again to a really, very excessive stage and be as aggressive as he’s at the moment. He’s getting higher and we will begin to change into extra bold I’m certain.”
It was initially deliberate that Bernal’s solely GrandTour this season can be the Vuelta, however the Tour has now emerged as a real chance. “Now we have to take a seat down and take inventory, to resolve as a efficiency crew what precisely is the very best plan for him,” Dempster stated.
“He’s a important man for us so we have to have a very good dialog about what’s the greatest plan to have him aggressive for us within the largest races. So we’ll see after this race. Who is aware of [if he’ll go to the Tour]. We’ll must see. Every little thing is feasible.”
Bernal equally refused to rule out competing within the Tour, telling the Spanish press that it “will depend on how I’m going. I’m approaching this season with motivation to proceed to work. I can do good coaching and it’s permitting me to enhance.”
