Egan Bernal rocks Carì ascent to help INEOS onto Giro podium with Arensman; and into the Top10 for himself
Cycling
Egan Bernal showed his best version again on the brutal stage 16 of the Giro d’Italia 2026. The Netcompany INEOS rider delivered a solid seventh place on the final climb to Carì, a result that moved him up two spots to tenth overall, on a day marked by Jonas Vingegaard’s fourth stage win of this edition.
Beyond the result, Bernal left a very strong impression on a day of maximum intensity, especially with his work alongside Dutch talent Thymen Arensman, with whom he led part of the chase on the final ascent. The Colombian explained that the strategy was clear from the start given the unmatchable pace set by Vingegaard, the race’s maglia rosa.
“I think it was easy to know what we had to do. It’s very hard to follow Jonas, so we just had to keep our own pace,” Bernal said after the finish, making it clear the aim was to manage the effort and limit losses against the dominant rider in the race.
The Colombian is racing at his top level and after a complicated start to the Giro, his form seems to be improving as the race goes on - whilst other riders, such as Giulio Pellizzari, have cracked out of GC contention.
The 2019 Tour de France winner also underlined his excellent relationship with Arensman, one of INEOS’ key assets for the future. The pair already shared leadership and responsibility weeks ago at the Tour of the Alps, and that connection seems to be strengthening day by day at the Giro.
“We’ve raced together a lot. As I said before, he’s a very young talent. No doubt he has many good years ahead,” Bernal said of his teammate, whom he considers one of the most promising riders in the WorldTour peloton.
The Colombian went even further, making clear the pride he feels in sharing a team and races with him: “For me it’s an honor to share some races with him.”
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Total confidence in Arensman’s podium bid
After Jonas Vingegaard's attack in Carì, Bernal went to the front of the Arensman group and paced the climb in the group that was directly behind the Dane. His efforts got Arensman to climb onto the podium as Afonso Eulálio had been dropped; and he himself climbed from 12th to 10th on the day, overtaking the previously mentioned Pellizzari but also Mathyus Rondel. With Ben O'Connor and Afonso Eulálio consistently shedding time, the Colombian can realistically aim higher.
“We’ve always had confidence. That’s what we try to show day by day. Feet on the ground, but obviously with great ambition,” he explained.
But the ambition is clear: Get INEOS back on the podium of a Grand Tour “I think Thymen deserves to be on the podium.” It will not be easy with Felix Gall and Jai Hindley, at peak form, rivalling the Dutchman. But it is possible.
Stages 19 and 20 will be two brutal days in the mountains where the classification will be further decided; with the Dolomites stage perhaps suiting Bernal to perfection with altitude being a key element to the Passo Giau and Passo Falzarego.
Egan Bernal, estrella de NetCompany INEOS Cycling Team.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
- I'm picking .... .... Never mind 🫥flyer07-11-2026
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