The official Egan Bernal is the new Egan Bernal thread

[Simurgh]

Contador names Lopez, Bernal, Froome and Dumoulin as favorites for the 2019 Tour, with an in-form Bernal being his top favorite. Question is, will Bernal do the same to Froome, as he did to Wiggins in 2012 or will he be held back like Landa was in 2015?

 

[Bot. Sky_Bot]

Re:

Contador names Lopez, Bernal, Froome and Dumoulin as favorites for the 2019 Tour, with an in-form Bernal being his top favorite. Question is, will Bernal do the same to Froome, as he did to Wiggins in 2012 or will he be held back like Landa was in 2015?

No doubts, he may be one of main contenders. Especially when GT will challenge Giro & Vuelta double (I hope he will).

 

[Ruudz0r]

I think Bernal will go to the Giro and lead there, with Thomas + Froome going to the Tour (and I hope for this as well)

 

[May0maniac]

Re:

I think Bernal will go to the Giro and lead there, with Thomas + Froome going to the Tour (and I hope for this as well)

Yes, before Emilia he was training on the San Luca climb on his TT bike, so it's probably going to be the Giro.

 

[Red Rick]

Wouldn't be surprised if he peaked next year already.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Just bumping this thread again.

Quickly becoming one of my absolute favourite riders, despite riding for Sky (some will probably find that a bit offensive, but it is what it is). I was very high on him from the beginning, he is one of a kind and frankly the biggest or second biggest talent I have ever seen (I have to put Sagan up there as well, but better than Alejandro, Boonen, Contador and Schleck which from a talent perspective are the best rider I have witnessed). He can do just about everything. I remember arguing that back in last year's spring in California, but he disappointed a bit in the flat time trial there, but obviously obliterated everyone uphill. He has shown he has a great neck of riding in the echelons, he has had incredible support, but still, its mightily impressive. Great downhill, explosive, short Vo2 max efforts... The time trial is one for the pure specialists and in this kind of shape, I wouldn't be surprised to see a great TT from him. He is truly a rider in the mold of Contador, but yes, he is even better and could surpass his 7 or 9 GTs under the right circumstances.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Yeah, this guy is a freaking beast. His racing in these three Paris-Nice stages has been out of this world (admittedly, he's had Rowe and Kwiatkowski by his side, but the awareness, determination and authority he's shown is unprecedent by any young GT rider I've ever watched).

 

[Koronin]

Re:

Contador names Lopez, Bernal, Froome and Dumoulin as favorites for the 2019 Tour, with an in-form Bernal being his top favorite. Question is, will Bernal do the same to Froome, as he did to Wiggins in 2012 or will he be held back like Landa was in 2015?

Unless Froome implodes Sky won't let Bernal ride for himself at the Tour.

 

[Krokro]

Very hyped by this kid. Being mainly a great climber, he can really do it all. I already acknowledged that he can ride more than decent TT, but he's looking comfortable in the wind as well. That's what I like to see!

 

[Valv.Piti]

And there's the TT. Scaaaaaaaary...

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Re:

And there's the TT. Scaaaaaaaary...

I don't understand why so many people are acting as if this was an issue. We already knew he was a very decent timetrialer.

 

[Dukerojo]

Last year he was the Colombian TT champ and this year he got third place

 

[Akuryo]

Re:

Last year he was the Colombian TT champ and this year he got third place

Cause Colombians are the benchmark for good time trialists.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

And there's the TT. Scaaaaaaaary...

I don't understand why so many people are acting as if this was an issue. We already knew he was a very decent timetrialer.

Yup, we knew he was a more than decent time trials everything considered, but he put a lot of time into riders that you would have expected would be better than him on a course like today. On more hilly routes he could suddenly win.

 

[fuiers]

I´ve been working on late shifts this week. Have missed both Paris-Nice and T-A. From what I saw from the replays Bernal is really killing it right now. Could this season already be the one where he delivers much of the hype? I only remember last year in TDF when he was pushing in climbs so hard that he had to slow down.

 

[Koronin]

Impressive ITT from Bernal.

 

[Son of Amsterhammer]

Giro is too stacked, but maybe Vuelta?

 

[Koronin]

Re:

Giro is too stacked, but maybe Vuelta?

Vuelta won't have as many as part of the GC riders are headed to the Tour after the Giro. This year's Giro has the best GC field for a GT in a long time.

 

[del1962]

Looking good to win P-N

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

Looking good to win P-N

Already his second one week WT-race after winning Cal last year. Second in Romandie as well. He has the potential to win lots and lots of these kind of races compared to other great great climbers due to him being so versatile and in most cases, probably the best or 2nd best rider on hard MTFs. A great recipe. Would have been more fun to see him in Itzulia afterwards instead of Catalunya tho - lets see if he can win against Valverde. Very much doubting it such a route, but its possible on Vallter if he has great legs.

 

[DNP-Old]

He’s barely done blowing out the candles on his 22nd birthday cake and he wins one of the most prestigous one week races on the calendar. Amazing rider. Catalunya and Trentino next I think.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Shame that he didnt get to stomp his authority with a trademark attack on one of the last few stages, but it is what it is. Sky really doesnt need him to be that rider when he is gaining time on the competition in time trials and echelons.

 

[Escarabajo]

Congratulations to Bernal. That was a great win. One for his Palmares.

 

[Robert5091]

Good win for Bernal at P-N - at the front when windy, good TT and held his own uphill. How it goes at the Giro will be interesting.

 

[Cookster15]

Re:

Shame that he didnt get to stomp his authority with a trademark attack on one of the last few stages, but it is what it is. Sky really doesnt need him to be that rider when he is gaining time on the competition in time trials and echelons.

P-N is a training race for Bernal. As per your last sentence Sky doesn't need him to be attacking when he can win anyway with smart riding. Save it for the Giro. Even if he is under Sky's guidance it is impressively mature riding for a 22 year old.