ANALYSIS | Can Egan Bernal fight for the podium at the Vuelta a Espana?

Egan Bernal’s story already reads like a career lived twice over, yet he is only 28. The Colombian burst onto the scene as a prodigy, winning the 2019 Tour de France and becoming the youngest champion of the race in nearly a century. That year he also collected Paris–Nice and the Tour de Suisse, confirming himself as the brightest new talent in the sport. But the setbacks soon followed, with recurring back problems pushing him out of competition and halting his progression.

His return in 2021 brought a new triumph, the Giro d’Italia, his second Grand Tour and a victory few had expected. The high was quickly overshadowed, though, when a horrific training crash in 2022 nearly ended both his career and his life. Doctors and experts doubted he would race again, but Bernal refused to accept that fate. Just seven months later, he lined up again, though the initial months back in the peloton were filled with difficulty.

By 2023, flashes of the old Bernal appeared, 8th in the Tour de Romandie and Tour of Hungary, 12th at the Critérium du Dauphiné, results that hinted at progress but remained far from the standard of a former Tour champion. The breakthrough came in 2024. A 21st at Liège–Bastogne–Liège was modest, but consistency marked his season: 5th at the Tour Colombia, 3rd at O Gran Camiño, 7th at Paris–Nice, a podium at the Volta a Catalunya behind only Tadej Pogacar and Mikel Landa, and a top-10 in the Tour de Suisse. He didn’t win, but his regularity showed that he had re-established himself as a key figure within INEOS Grenadiers.

In 2025 the trajectory rose even higher. Bernal became the first Colombian since 2004 to win both the national road race and time trial titles. He entered the Giro d’Italia as INEOS’s leader, placing 7th after a similar finish at the Volta a Catalunya. These were his best Grand Tour results since the crash and a clear statement that he was once again a contender.

His Vuelta a España began with confidence after taking 6th at the Vuelta a Burgos during his build-up. Across the opening week, Bernal fought near the front: 4th in Limone Piemonte, 8th in Ceres, with INEOS finishing 5th in the stage 5 team time trial. In the mountains, he has stayed close to the podium riders, recording three top-25s and two top-15s. At the first rest day, Bernal sits 11th overall, 2:55 behind the red jersey.

The standings, however, need context. Torstein Træen leads thanks to a breakaway and is unlikely to defend the jersey for three weeks. Jonas Vingegaard, second at 2:18 ahead of Bernal, looks like the true leader, while João Almeida sits 1:40 ahead. Bernal’s fight realistically begins with the riders closer in reach: Tom Pidcock, a less natural climber; Felix Gall, the provisional podium rider just 41 seconds up; and Giulio Ciccone, who may not fully commit to the GC.

Further up, Lorenzo Fortunato’s staying power is questionable, while Matteo Jorgenson remains more a support rider than a rival. Jai Hindley and Giulio Pellizzari could pose problems, though one may eventually have to sacrifice for the other. Looking down the classification, Bernal is better positioned than any of those chasing him. After years of setbacks, his presence in this fight shows not just survival, but the possibility of a full return to the top.