Colombian Egan Bernal, the first from his country to win the Tour de France, is always surrounded by fans when walking through the streets of his homeland. For him, this reality is already part of his life and comes naturally, even when it is almost impossible not to attract the attention of reporters, as happened recently at the presentation at Plaza de Bolívar in Tunja.
Egan Bernal’s recovery
The athlete’s performance last week, during the national championship, and the absence of other foreign competitors place Egan Bernal among the favorites to win the Tour Colombia. His third place in the national championship was his first time on the podium since winning the 2021 Giro d’Italia.
At the time, Egan moved everyone by saying: “I felt like the Egan before”. He was the winner of the first edition of this competition in 2018 and then finished fourth in the following two years.
Expectations for the Tour Colombia 2024
When asked about his goals for the competition, Egan Bernal was cautious: “The goal is to enjoy it, I think,” said Bernal this Sunday. “At this point in the season, it’s difficult for me to say I want to finish first, second or third. The most important thing is to enjoy it, like I did in the National Championships.”
“I’m going to do my best and then I’ll see where I am and if I’m recovering well. It’s hard to say right now.”
According to the cyclist, he comes to this competition full of determination to do his best. The good results in the national championship gave him confidence, but he knows that each race is different and it is important to keep his feet on the ground.
Decisive stages
The cyclist will be in the spotlight in the fourth stage of the Tour, which ends in his hometown, Zipaquirá. The fifth stage will be in Alto do Vino, a route considered by Bernal to be quite difficult due to the variations in temperature and terrain.
“It’s hard, really really hard,” Bernal said. “You are climbing the last 30km of the race and there are some very difficult climbs. There is a change in weather too, because it is usually very hot at the bottom of the climb and much colder at the end. It will be a very difficult stage”, concluded Bernal.