"I’ve seen the same traits in great champions like Vincenzo Nibali and Tadej Pogacar": Egan Bernal’s former teammate on his early days and Vuelta podium hopes

In the seasoned eyes of former Vuelta a Espana stage winner Francesco Gavazzi, there’s something quietly unmistakable about a champion. It's not just in the legs or lungs – it’s in the attitude, the presence, the way a rider carries himself. And Egan Bernal, even as a teenager fresh off the plane from Colombia, already had it.

“I’ve seen the same traits in other great champions,” Gavazzi tells Bici.Pro, referring to the likes of Vincenzo Nibali and Tadej Pogacar. “These are riders who enjoy themselves on the bike. You never see them stressed, never gloomy. Egan had that too, even from the beginning.”

Now 28 and attempting a full return to the Grand Tour sharp end after his devastating 2022 crash, Bernal is back where it all started – on the familiar roads of Piedmont. For Gavazzi, who shared a team with him at Androni Giocattoli in 2016 and 2017, that’s no coincidence. “Some places give you something,” he says. “A kind of energy. Piedmont is like a second home for Egan – it’s where he found his rhythm, where his star started to rise.”

When Bernal first arrived in Italy, few in the European peloton knew his name. He was 18, fresh from a background in mountain biking, and had never raced on the road outside South America. Androni’s Gianni Savio took the gamble, and it didn’t take long to pay off.

Gavazzi recalls their first encounter vividly – a team training camp in Padua, late 2015. “We were testing equipment, and Gianni introduced this Colombian kid to us. He said he was coming from MTB, and that he was really strong. Then we set off for a ride. We kept saying we’d take it easy – just a loop through the Berici Hills – but within three corners of the first descent, Egan was on the deck.”

They all wondered what had become of the boy they were meant to mentor. But what followed was a rapid and impressive adaptation. “It took just a few weeks for us to realise he had something special,” Gavazzi says. “He learned fast, stayed close to the experienced guys in the bunch, fought for position. He wasn’t timid. Even then, he was confident and clear in his ideas – but without ever being arrogant.”

That blend of humility and quiet confidence has, in Gavazzi’s view, defined Bernal throughout his career – even as results propelled him to the very top of the sport. “After winning the Tour de France, he didn’t change one bit,” Gavazzi says. “He was still that same kid. Always ready with a smile, always open. Maybe too open at times. He’d sign every autograph, pose for every photo – we sometimes had to drag him to the start line.”

It’s a trait that resonates with those who’ve seen champions up close. “The best riders, the real champions – they’re confident, but not egotistical. They lead, but never crush the team. Egan has that rare balance.”

That natural poise was severely tested following Bernal’s near-fatal crash in early 2022 – a training accident in Colombia that left him with fractured vertebrae, a punctured lung, and months of painful recovery. Gavazzi, who retired shortly after the incident, wasn’t around the team day-to-day, but observed from afar. “He didn’t seem to lose the essence of who he was,” Gavazzi reflects. “Maybe he lost some serenity on the bike – understandably – but off it, he stayed true to himself.”

And now, with the Vuelta a España underway, that inner composure could once again prove a vital asset. After a steady if unspectacular Giro earlier this season, Bernal has looked sharper on 'home soil' in these opening stages – finishing fourth on the first summit finish at Limone Piemonte and appearing both confident and relaxed.

“He’s started well, and that’s important for morale,” Gavazzi notes. “He’s a rider who improves in the third week. Getting through the early stages without crashes or problems is essential for him – if he does that, he’ll grow into the race. I honestly think the podium is within reach.”