Egan Bernal training with 'maximum intensity' according to INEOS Grenadiers DS: "He’s thinking about how to win the Giro d'Italia"

After winning the Tour de France in 2019 and the Giro d'Italia in 2019, Egan Bernal looked poised to dominate the Grand Tours of the 2020s. That's not quite how things have transpired though, with the Colombian having to pretty much start from scratch again after an almost career-ending crash. Ahead of a return to the Giro in 2025 however, Bernal is once again ready to compete for the win in the Grand Tours, according to INEOS Grenadiers DS Xavier Zandio.

“Egan is doing well. He’s training at home in Colombia, up in the mountains. Everything is going smoothly, and from what I can gather from speaking with him, he’s motivated," explains Zandio in conversation with Bici.Pro, after the official announcement of the INEOS Grenadiers' Giro d'Italia lineup confirmed Bernal as one half of a two-pronged leadership strategy alongside Thymen Arensman. "He’s thinking about how to win the Giro. He’s always happy, optimistic, and ready to overcome any obstacles in his path.”

The presence of Arensman and the sharing of the pressures of expectation might also work in the favour of Bernal according to Zandio. “Bernal and Arensman give us guarantees for a fight in the general classification," notes the sports director. "The course suits Egan.”

Bernal has raced three Grand Tours over the last couple of seasons, building his form back up. Although his best general classification finish is 29th at the 2024 Tour de France, this time the Colombian is expected to keep up a GC challenge much deeper into the race.

“The plan is this: train well at home. And Egan has done that with his long-time training partner, Brandon Rivera. The team is following him consistently. The original plan was to do Catalunya, altitude training, and then head straight to the Giro," explains Zandio of the work being done by Bernal in the build up, unaffected by another crash earlier this year at the Clasica Jaen. "We decided to stick to it despite the fracture.”

And Zandio retains confidence that Bernal will be a genuine Maglia Rosa threat. “For now, the important thing is that he’s doing well. We’ve planned his return to Europe a week before the Giro, and he’ll be ready. He’s trained with maximum intensity and with the right specific work. Cycling and methods have changed,” concludes the INEOS DS.