Teams & Riders The official Egan Bernal is the new Egan Bernal thread

[Froome]

Bernal said he is back and beyond his best "numbers".

I'll ignore that the universal gauge today of any rider's self-image seems to be a set of numbers and not his confidence or "feelings". That would be a totally different discussion that not many forum users could fathom, even less comprehend.

What we know is that Bernal won a Giro and a Tour. If indeed he is "back", he would have to be next to Pogacar, Vingo and Roglic. Unless the peloton has increased its level so much that his numbers are therefore meaningless for a top ten or a podium.

The point is that if we take Bernal's talent and career and his assertion that he is back to his best numbers, if he does not perform in the Tour that can only mean:

1) we was lucky in his GT endeavours;
2) assessing performances based exclusively in numbers is flawed;
3) he is indeed back to his best level but that does not suffice anymore because what counts is to stay competitive; one year out means forever out (ergo, Quintana); Bernal would have to stay active during the past three years in order to keep in touch with the ever growing level of the peleton; if that is the case, tough luck on Vingo, he might never be back to his "best";

No, he doesn't have to be next to Pogacar, Vingegaard and Roglic. Thomas also won the Tour and it doesn't mean he is next to them.

Bernal benefited from a weak field to win the Tour. Main rivals were, Kruijswijk, buchmann and Alaphilippe.

Furthermore, not even Roglic is next to Vingegaard and Pogacar at the moment, but certainly he is above the king of alto de foia daniel martinez, the guy who can do monster climbing perfomances!

 

[Sciatic]

Bernal said he is back and beyond his best "numbers".

I'll ignore that the universal gauge today of any rider's self-image seems to be a set of numbers and not his confidence or "feelings". That would be a totally different discussion that not many forum users could fathom, even less comprehend.

What we know is that Bernal won a Giro and a Tour. If indeed he is "back", he would have to be next to Pogacar, Vingo and Roglic. Unless the peloton has increased its level so much that his numbers are therefore meaningless for a top ten or a podium.

The point is that if we take Bernal's talent and career and his assertion that he is back to his best numbers, if he does not perform in the Tour that can only mean:

1) we was lucky in his GT endeavours;
2) assessing performances based exclusively in numbers is flawed;
3) he is indeed back to his best level but that does not suffice anymore because what counts is to stay competitive; one year out means forever out (ergo, Quintana); Bernal would have to stay active during the past three years in order to keep in touch with the ever growing level of the peleton; if that is the case, tough luck on Vingo, he might never be back to his "best";

Maybe when all these riders talk about reaching their “best numbers” ever, the number they’re referencing is their age.

 

[Red Rick]

Bernal said he is back and beyond his best "numbers".

I'll ignore that the universal gauge today of any rider's self-image seems to be a set of numbers and not his confidence or "feelings". That would be a totally different discussion that not many forum users could fathom, even less comprehend.

What we know is that Bernal won a Giro and a Tour. If indeed he is "back", he would have to be next to Pogacar, Vingo and Roglic. Unless the peloton has increased its level so much that his numbers are therefore meaningless for a top ten or a podium.

The point is that if we take Bernal's talent and career and his assertion that he is back to his best numbers, if he does not perform in the Tour that can only mean:

1) we was lucky in his GT endeavours;
2) assessing performances based exclusively in numbers is flawed;
3) he is indeed back to his best level but that does not suffice anymore because what counts is to stay competitive; one year out means forever out (ergo, Quintana); Bernal would have to stay active during the past three years in order to keep in touch with the ever growing level of the peleton; if that is the case, tough luck on Vingo, he might never be back to his "best";

If he was doing his TdF Tour winning numbers he wouldn't get top 10