"It was just to test" - Egan Bernal talks through long-range attack to which only UAE responded

Egan Bernal just finished fifth in the 11th stage of the Giro d'Italia 2025, entering the group with all the big favorites for the final general classification, 10 seconds behind the day's winner Richard Carapaz. After crossing the finish line, the Colombian INEOS Grenadiers rider shared his impressions of a day where he launched a daring attack.

"Well, there's not much to say really. We said if we were okay, let's say we could try. But well, there was really a long way to go to the finish and it was just to test, to see how the others were and if any of the overall maybe would have stayed then, let's say maybe continue," Bernal said in statements collected by Cycling Pro Net. 

In the climb to Alpe San Pellegrino, a first category mountain pass with 13.8 kilometers at 8.8% average gradient, with the last 3 at 11.1%, undoubtedly the biggest difficulty of the day, Bernal launched a move which was only followed by pink and white jersey themselves Isaac del Toro and Juan Ayuso. Whilst it was an attack that ultimately did not work, it brought fireworks to an exciting day of racing and also seemed to show he recovered from his crash in the time-trial.

He then spoke about his physical damage caused by the fall he suffered yesterday during the time trial with the finish in Pisa: "Well, at the beginning it (the knee, ed.) wasn't really good, it was like I was swollen, I don't know, it wasn't like I was super. And then on the climb, I think I was a little better".

Finally, he was asked about Carapaz, who has just won the fourth stage of his personal career at the Giro d'Italia, and left some nice words for the Ecuadorian of EF Education-EasyPost: "Super happy for him, really. He deserves it, he's very brave. And nothing, I think he started very strong, and that, he deserves it, congratulations to him".

Bernal is still 11th in the overall standings, although he is now 2:39 behind race leader Isaac del Toro, who added 6 seconds of bonus time thanks to his second place in today's stage.