Egan is back to fight again: exhibition at the Vuelta a Catalunya

The Colombian Egan Bernal defends third place and his place on the podium in the Return to Catalonia, his sixth competition in the demanding opening of the season that he has done, and with results that are exciting, that mark what he can be this year, in which he is a renewed runner.

After his accident in January 2022, in which he almost ended up in a wheelchair or, in the worst case scenario, died, the Ineos team rider once again found himself in the fight for a stage victory or in the fight for the positions ahead of a general classification.

He was third in the distance competition at the road nationals and fifth in the Colombia Tour. Then, he occupied the third place in O Great Way, in a frantic fight against Jonas Vingegaard, who was the champion has plenty of merit.

In Paris-Nice finished seventh, his fifth top 10 of the year, and in Catalonia He's looking for the same thing, finishing in the top three. It is true that it is not up to par Vingegaard or Tadej Pogacar and that he has seen himself very hand in hand with men like Mikel Landa, Lenny Martínez, Alexsandr Vlasov or Brandon McNulty, to name a few important ones.

What he has done is regain that confidence to continue looking for his best form, perhaps not the one he had before the accident and that led him to win the Tour de France of 2019 and the Giro d'Italia of 2021, but close to those who fight for the 'remnants' left by the powerful of the lot.

Europe has welcomed his return to privileged places, because in 2024 Bernal has 'appeared in the photos', the cameras are looking for it more, because its performance has been much better than that of the end of 2022 and that of all of 2023.

“He is a very tall runner. “What he is going to do this year depends on his abilities, on how he reacts to the plan he has been making after the accident,” he told EL TIEMPO. Mario Manzoni, Astana team coach.

And he added: “We have seen him more capable, recovered, returning to having those sensations of being able to last much longer in the high mountains than when he returned from the accident.”

What's coming

Bernal has shown that he is fine, that he is strong and that it was worth the wait, after the accident

Everything indicates that Bernal will be in the Basque Country from April 1st, with which the first part of the season will end, before facing the Return to Romandy At the end of the month. “Bernal has shown that he is fine, that he is strong and that he was worth the wait after the accident. I don't know what he's going to do, I don't know if he's going to win a big one again, but because of what he's done so far we have to take it into account in the competition he's in,” said Pablo Lastras, Movistar coach.

He was a little more skeptical. Tejay van Garderen, the team technician Education Easy Post, who warns that seeing him in these conditions is very good, an incentive for him, for the group and for the country, but that it is still too early to know what he will achieve.

“In cycling you have to validate the good level you present in each race. Bernal “He has said that he is fine, from what we have seen, and for the moment it is important and exciting to see him moving forward, pedaling after the tremendous accident,” Garderen declared.

For him it is clear that the performance of Bernal It is important at this time of the year, but he says we have to wait to see what developments it takes.

The Colombian Egan Bernal Today he defends third place and his place on the podium in the Return to Catalonia, his sixth competition in the demanding opening of the season that he has done, and with results that are exciting, that mark what he can be this year, in which he is a renewed runner.

LISANDRO ABEL RENGIFO

X: @LisandroAbel

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