Egan Bernal could change teams at the end of this season, according to the Spanish newspaper Marca. The Colombian rider has had a more than positive year after the unfortunate accident he suffered in 2022, which almost ended his career.
This week, Bernal has been linked to a team that is well-known to Colombians. The “Puerto a Puerto” column, specialized in cycling news and rumors, wrote that Movistar Team is considering adding Egan Bernal to their roster for the upcoming season.
Egan Bernal’s contract with INEOS Grenadiers is reportedly worth 2.8 million Euros.
One month before his accident, the Colombian signed a contract with his team that binds him until 2026. In this agreement, he secured one of the highest salaries on the roster, ranking among the top 5 in the world with 2.8 million Euros, according to Calcio e Finanza magazine.
INEOS also showed their confidence in Egan by providing him with all the necessary support for his recovery and taking him to two major Tours this year. Egan, in turn, took on the role of a domestique, working for another leader in these races, as it is evident that three-week races can still be demanding. Therefore, there are still doubts about whether he can reach his previous level.
Egan Bernal is currently competing in the Vuelta a España 2023 with INEOS, albeit in a very different role from what he was accustomed to, now serving as a domestique for other team leaders. The Colombian is currently in 50th place overall, over 44 minutes behind the race leader.
“I think everyone knows that things started to go wrong, and in the end, I wasn’t anywhere near my best level. However, it seems to me that I’ve had a good season so far because I managed to go to the Tour de France, I’m here in the peloton, and I’ve accumulated many race days in high-level competitions,” said Egan.
