ManicJack
BANNED
- Apr 4, 2023
- 1,253
- 1,632
- 5,680
I hope that I am proven wrong because I like Bernal as a racer, but I just can't get behind that level of optimism.
- Apr 3, 2016
- 1,647
- 1,016
- 13,680
- Apr 16, 2009
- 17,600
- 6,854
- 28,180
He must be doing this training with teammates. Reading the comments it will be weird if He doesn't go to the Tour. Similar to the Giro INEOS will go to the Tour with no clear leader and with many good riders that can hunt stages if GC does not work.
Last edited:
- Aug 4, 2014
- 2,370
- 260
- 11,880
Today he was doing TT efforts with his head trainer at "home' in "Monaco". So he's definitely training to do a GC, and I doubt he's preparing for the Vuelta time-trials from this far out. So yeah, my guess is that he's probably going for the Tour, probably with a free role next to Martinez behind Rodriguez who is probably Ineos' best chance at a podium right now.
- Sep 2, 2011
- 17,534
- 13,757
- 28,180
He's not gonna win the Tour, and he'll need to improve to even have a shot at a stage, but it was nice seeing him work for the team deep into a multi mountain Tour stage after everything he's been through.
His pace was fairly good, gained some time back on the front group. Forza Egan!
His pace was fairly good, gained some time back on the front group. Forza Egan!
He'll be back, class is permanent. I don't think he ever beats the top 2 unless there are multiple stages with 5000m+ of climbing at over 2000. But he could win a few giro and vuelta.
I don't think anyone else including Remco and Rog are significantly better than him at top level (Ayuso may become).
I don't think anyone else including Remco and Rog are significantly better than him at top level (Ayuso may become).
Still a long way to go, but Its good to see him racing and trying to grow again. Hopefully he can make the connection with best next year again.
- May 3, 2023
- 886
- 1,262
- 6,180
It seems that his progression post injury has stagnated or am I missing something?
- Aug 3, 2015
- 22,743
- 10,688
- 28,180
When I saw how he was going in Romandie I honestly expected/hoped for a bit better than this. Also given his comments about training after Dauphine etc.
But oh well, we cannot expect miracles. At least good to see him on the front contributing to the bike race.
Hard to compare because the level at the tour has been insane and we don't know how deep he is going. His main goal is to finish the Tour, not the placing. so i'm assuming he isn't going full throttle into the deep red.
He's washed, its sad that he had that serious accident, but he's now a good domestique or one of these guys fighting to top 10 a GT
He is not getting back to his old level any more than Froome might
He is not getting back to his old level any more than Froome might
- Mar 20, 2022
- 13,277
- 18,024
- 22,180
Even if he came back to his old self, he couldn't compete at all with Pogi or Vingegaard. His tour win was a major fluke and stars really alligned to his win (Froome's crash, Pinot's injury, lack of competition, Thomas's motivation after winning the Tour).
+ Dumoulin’s crash
+ Shortened stage that took time gaps at a midway point when Bernal was on attack and others had not yet countered
+ Roglic not riding that year
Cookster15
Moderator
- May 14, 2011
- 6,179
- 6,684
- 23,180
Shortened stage reduced his winning margin, they were utterly powerless against him.
- Feb 20, 2012
- 53,932
- 44,320
- 28,180
Group behind was literally riding at domestiques pace.
If it's a MTF 0 shot he takes a full minute on everyone there.
Having said that, Alaphilippe was completely ruined and was never coming back. Only Thomas might feel stolen about that day
- Apr 16, 2009
- 17,600
- 6,854
- 28,180
What does Roglic has to do with anything in 2019? he lost the Giro against Carapaz and Nibali. Dumoulin's crash? let's pick the moral winner everytime someone crash. This kind of stuff comes back usually when someone is not doing good at the moment, but this is a guy who came back from many surgeries in one year. He could have been in a wheelchair for all I know.
The 2020 Giro was the weakest in history, right?
Cookster15
Moderator
- May 14, 2011
- 6,179
- 6,684
- 23,180
The original stage finish was at Tignes at well over 2,000metres. We already saw on that stage that Thomas was powerless. Bernal just rode away from him on the Col de I’Iseran - Bernal didn’t even have to make an attack.
- Feb 20, 2012
- 53,932
- 44,320
- 28,180
Roglic was sick in that Giro.
Like I don't know how you watch that Tour, where Bernal was pretty average for 2 whole weeks and think he beats Roglic who won the Vuelta easily despite a weak team and 2 crashes
I'm not saying Thomas would have won, just that he was the only one who might have benefitted from the stage happening as designed.
I agree it is fantastic he is coming back and we should all applaud his determination. But it was a fortuitous GT, relatively speaking, certainly compared to the last 3 Tour wins IMO. Roglic wanted to ride the Tour but was turned down so rode the Giro, where he crashed, got sick, and lost the Giro. Dumoulin looked like the next world beater in 2018 but his career basically ended, at least as a Gt rider, in a crash in 2019, so that certainly had an impact IMO. Same with Froome’s crash.
I could be wrong, but what I remember is Bernal going on a long range attack and everyone assuming it was part of a coordinated plan with G, but then G didn’t get to ride across because the stage was shortened.
- Aug 6, 2014
- 9,848
- 7,055
- 23,180
I love how people always try to make some sort of narrative because this, that and the third happened that were advantageous to Bernal winning the Tour, completely dismissing and ignoring any circumstances he had to deal with himself.
Guy who won 2 GTs was a fluke. Guys who either won only 1 GT (Thomas, Dumoulin) or 0 GTs (Pinot) would have definitely beaten Bernal if all of the things that didn't happen happened and if all of the things that happened didn't.
This is just amusing. People calling Bernal's GTs a fluke have major comprehension issues.
- Feb 20, 2012
- 53,932
- 44,320
- 28,180
I'm glad I finally have evidence that Igor Anton was never beating Nibali in the 2010 Vuelta.
TRENDING THREADS
-
World Championship 2025: Men’s RR, September 28- Started by Berniece
- Replies: 2K
-
Teams & Riders The Remco Evenepoel is the next Eddy Merckx thread- Started by DNP-Old
- Replies: 36K
-
Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread- Started by Lequack
- Replies: 41K
-
Teams & Riders The Great Big Cycling Transfers, Extensions, and Rumours Thread- Started by RedheadDane
- Replies: 13K
-
Il Lombardia 2025, monument, October 11- Started by Krzysztof_O
- Replies: 792
-
European Championship 2025: Men’s RR, October 5- Started by Berniece
- Replies: 854
-
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram