The cycling season in the world is about to begin and in Colombia there is hope that Egan Bernal (Ineos) and Nairo Quintana (Movistar) may have the option of winning again, of making the country remember old times and enjoy their great deeds in Europe.
However, it does not seem easy, since the others are ahead of us, but the truth is that they will do their best to meet their goals.
(Luis Díaz, in the pillory for the imminent departure of Mohamed Salah from Liverpool)
(Tour Colombia 2024: this is the powerful team that Astana brings)
These are the keys for the two stars to return to the top of the podium.
1. Bernal's calendar
Little is known about the competitions in which Bernal will be involved. What is clear is that he will take part in the Colombia Tour (February 6 to 11), but nothing else is confirmed. It is not known what his first races will be and although it has been speculated that he will go to the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España, Well, neither he nor the team Ineos They have confirmed that information. It is key to know what your objectives will be to know what you will play.
2. Your work
It is not that Ineos has been put together in the best way in order to fight the big races. It has riders to fight for the podium, the 'Top 5', but to be hand in hand with Primoz Roglic, Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaar, Well, it's missing. Not even Egan Bernal in his best condition could be next to those monsters, so they will have to fight for secondary positions.
Egan Bernal pedals his bicycle.
Instagram: Egan Bernal
3. The state of form
It is another great unknown. In the last days of December and the beginning of January he has been seen very active on his social networks, in which he has shown his training. He is sure that he has it in his mind to have a good Tour Colombia, a test in which he will be with the Colombia selection. Bernal is looking for his best form and this year will be ideal to find out how he is doing to face his great challenges from now on after the accident in January 2022.
Eph. EL TIEMPO Archive
4. Your companions
Egan Bernal's goals will also involve knowing the strategy that Ineos will have in terms of the cyclists it will field in the big events, be they called the Giro d'Italia, the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España. Although the most important thing is to know your state of form, your conditions, it is also important to know what your teammates who can be leaders there are doing, such as Thomas Pidcock, Carlos Rodríguez or the same Geraint Thomas. Some clues have already been given, but nothing is confirmed.
5. The idea of Ineos
It will be two years since Egan Bernal's accident and after a painful and demanding recovery it will be very difficult for him to return to being the runner he was before the incident, so at Ineos they must be clear that their tasks could not be to answer for the leadership in one of the big competitions. Nor is the group the same as before, winning and overwhelming as when Bernal was in his best condition, Thomas was a threat and Chris Froome was the great 'capo'. They look for the best for the future.
Nairo Quintana presented at Movistar.
1. Nairo's revenge
The runner from Boyacá enters a new season one year and six months after having stopped competing in Europe. He did it for the last time in the 2022 Tour de France, when he was expelled from that race because two of his tests showed the substance tramadol, at that time banned in competition by the International Cycling Union (UCI). He has not stopped preparing, exercising, but it is one thing to train and another to compete. 2024 is a kind of revenge for him.
2. The condition
Therefore, this is the big question that Quintana must resolve: what is his true condition? How far can he go? And that can only be known over time, with the passing of the competitions. Like Bernal, he will not be at the level of Roglic, Vingegaard, Pogacar, when it comes to big races, but he can be an important rider to fight for a stage victory and a 'Top 10' in one of those evidence.
3. Your bet
It is already known that Nairo will be the leader of the Movistar team in the Giro d'Italia and that he will go to the Vuelta a España to support Enric More, the man designated to fight the competition after going to the Tour de France. In the Giro he will have rivals much superior to him like Pogacar, to name just one. What is not known is what role the cyclist from Boyacá will have in the one-week tests, in which he may do well, since he adapts to his current situation. He may perform better in short races than in long races.
4. Your place on the team
Movistar He has hired good riders, but, by name and category, Quintana will only have Más ahead of him. They have other cyclists who will be very important and who will fight Nairo for prominence, such as Einer Rubiowho has already won a stage in the 2023 Giro and is making his way, has shown that he has the legs to be one of the group's commanders, when talking about one- and three-week tests, but Quintana has nothing to complain about, He has the support and confidence of his sports directors and all he has to do is respond.
Néstor Gómez – EL TIEMPO and Efe
5. The idea of Movistar
In a Movistar team they do not have the pressure of Visma, from UAE Emirates or Bora to go out to win everything, they don't have that obligation, they know that they are there to 'fish in troubled waters', take someone to a podium, a 'Top 5' and win stages, but nothing more. It does not have the riders to obtain the overall victory in the Giro, Tour or Vuelta, but it is a group that must seek it. They have their feet on the ground, therefore, the arrival of Quintana is a motivating plus and everything positive that the boyacense achieves serves to fulfill the objective of being protagonists.
(Egan Bernal: they reveal part of his calendar, he will do two big races)
Lisandro Rengifo
Editor of EL TIEMPO
@lisandroabel
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