Egan Bernal not willing to let injury hinder ambitious plans: "It would be more normal for me not to win in 2023, but that's the ambition"

Egan Bernal is taking his return from the Vuelta a San Juan, where he suffered a crash that caused him to drop out, very cautiously. He was due to return at the Vuelta a Andalucía two weeks ago, then Paris-Nice, but has been ruled out and we don't know when he will make his European season debut.

After his injury last year, there is no doubt that he needs days of competition to regain his best form. Speaking to Tuttobiciweb, the INEOS Grenadiers rider assured that he knows this year is going to be very important for his career.

"I feel strong and motivated for a key season in which I will really understand how my body will react. It won't be decisive, but it will be indicative of whether I can win again or not. Reflecting on it, it would be more normal for me not to win in 2023, but that's the ambition."

Bernal is clear that he believes he will be able to regain his best form. He doesn't understand continuing to compete if that doesn't happen: "There is a desire to get back to the levels I'm used to, otherwise I would have retired. Every day I wake up with the ambition to be the best, to train, to make sacrifices."

About what was commented when he won the Tour de France in 2019 and what has been commented after the triumphs of Pogacar and Vingegaard, the rider from Bogotá makes an interesting observation: "After I won the yellow jersey, people began to write that Bernal would win seven consecutive Tours, then the same was said about Pogacar and Vingegaard".

We'll see when good old Egan makes his debut. As reported from INEOS, his big goal for the season should be the Tour de France, so he would still have plenty of time to make his debut and prepare, although, as we say, it would be good if he could start putting in the miles as soon as possible considering he spent most of 2022 on the sidelines due to his serious injury.