The Colombian Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers), winner of the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia, will be one of the great attractions in Return to San Juan which will begin this Sunday in the provincial capital of Argentina. The start of a special season after his serious injury suffered a year ago, which should lead to his return to the Tour de France.
“From the injury I recovered well, I feel good after the fall of 2022. I have trained normally in the last few months, I am positive and I am confident, with good training in numbers, although then the competition is different,” said the cyclist from Cundinamarca in San Juan.
Bernal, 26, is once again dreaming big, smiling and setting goals in contention with the best runners in the world. A year of recovery studies “is priceless.”
“I learned a lot. It was one of the best years of my life. I learned to be patient, to know that family is the most important thing. We are human and anything can happen to anyone… happened to me, I didn’t see it, but it happened. My mother had cancer, no one is free from difficult moments and they can come,” reflected the Ineos cyclist.
Bernal, in a very well-known aspect, proved that the recovery from the accident “is more difficult psychologically than physically.
“You wonder if you will be able to continue cycling, if you will be able to continue at the same level… You ask yourself, but I was born to be a cyclist and I cannot imagine my life without a bicycle. . What I want is inspire and help people who He is in a clinic going through complicated situations. And I want to return to the best level”, he pointed out.
The Colombian admitted that on his return to competition he felt “scared”, a feeling that he had overcome.
“I was scared, but not anymore. In practice I had sometimes when I was fast, at 60 per hour, but not recently, it was a phase that was overcome. When I came back I felt something strange, something normal, but I gradually got over it,” he clarified.
Before the 2023 season, Bernal will make his debut in San Juan, a career he already knows as a sub’23. The real goal is clear, the Tour de France.
“The Tour is the most important race and I’m looking forward to getting back. I have good memories, I like the race and I want to come back, but I have to show that I am ready to go to the Tour,” he clarified.
Now in San Juan, Bernal hopes to start getting the necessary sensations to face the long road.
“I want to start as soon as possible a good careerI want to compete and start well, the heat of San Juan will do me good. The goal is to pick up the rhythm for the following tests. It will be a very physical race, and even without many mountains, the stages will be difficult. People will be happy.”
According to Bernal, the key is “every day, avoiding falling and trying to control the mountain stage in Colorado, which will be difficult and will make a difference, and there may also be wind.”
Bernal identified the great favorite, the Belgian Remco Evenepoel, world champion and Vuelta. “Your presence for me is an inspiration, he won a grand tour and showed what a champion he is. His merit is great and it is not easy to compare with Eddy Merckx. He’s a great, great runner,” he concluded.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Robert Maynard, and I am a passionate journalist with experience in sports writing. For the last few years, I have been writing for Today Times Live. My main focus has been on sports-related stories and features. With my strong background in journalism and extensive knowledge of the industry, I am able to provide readers with well-crafted pieces that are both informative and engaging.
