'I don’t know yet' - Bernal casts doubt on Tour de France appearance

Egan Bernal has cast doubt on his chances of competing at this year’s Tour de France.

The Ineos Grenadiers rider won the Tour de France in 2019 but is only just rediscovering his form after a life-threatening crash in January 2022.

In March, he achieved his first WorldTour podium since his return to cycling, finishing third in the Volta a Catalunya.

Bernal is currently competing in the Tour de Suisse, sitting 39th in the general classification after two stages. But he told L’Equipe he is still uncertain about racing at the Tour de France.

“It depends if I go or not… I don’t know yet,” Bernal responded when asked about his ambitions for the Grand Tour event.

Bernal continued: “But if I participate in the Tour, it will be with the desire to compete in the general and to finish as high as possible.

“I want to aim for the general classification but if on the first two stages I lose five or six minutes, I will have to review the objectives and change the plan. It will also depend on my team-mates and their form, if they are stronger than me or not.”

Bernal also rejected the idea that he was back to his best, although admitted that he had been boosted by recent results.

“My best level is winning the Tour de France or the Giro,” he said. “This is my best level. And, for the moment, I’m not there yet.

“So I’m still missing something. I do not ignore the results obtained at the start of the season. This is an important step that gives me confidence for the months to come.”