“The objective is to enjoy it" - Egan Bernal to race Tour Colombia with smile on his face

Beginning his 2024 campaign back home in his native Colombia, Egan Bernal is keen to enjoy every second as he continues to get back to his best form after a brutal few years of injuries.

“The objective is to enjoy it, I think,” Bernal said on Sunday, pre-race at the Tour Colombia, in quotes collected by Cycling News. "At this point in the season, it’s difficult for me to say I want to finish first or second or third. The most important thing is to enjoy it, like I did in the National Championships."

In the Colombian National Championships, Bernal placed sixth in the individual time-trial and third in the men's road race. "I’ll give the best of myself," the INEOS Grenadiers man says, upbeat as always. "Then I’ll see where I am and if I’m recovering well. It’s hard to say more now.”

“I’m coming in with a lot of determination to give the best of myself, which is the most important thing,” he continues. “Maybe I got a bit of confidence from the national championships, and that’s important, but every race is different. I didn’t do a great time trial in the Nationals and then I did a good road race, so I’m just keeping my feet on the ground.”

A Giro d'Italia and Tour de France winner during his peak, Bernal has spent the last couple of seasons on the long road to recovery after a horrific crash that almost ended his life, not just his career. At Tour Colombia, the first real test of Bernal's 2024 will come atop the Alto del Vino.

“It’s difficult, really very difficult,” Bernal concludes. “You’re climbing for the last 30km of the race and there are some very tough slopes. There’s a change of climate too, because it’s usually very hot at the bottom of the climb and then a lot fresher at the top. That’s going to be a very tough stage."