The official Egan Bernal is the new Egan Bernal thread

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Considering he won the Tour last year I doubt he's regretting it very much.

... which has nothing to do with the fact that he can not claim sole leadership in that team (yet).

 

[del1962]

Well looks like Froome might be on another team by the time TDF starts

 

[Escarabajo]

... which has nothing to do with the fact that he can not claim sole leadership in that team (yet).

It looks like Sky is siding with Bernal now.

Bernal going to that team had no impact in their initial plans if we take into account Thomas and Froome's age. That was the right decision. Ineos/Sky never saw it coming that Bernal would win the Tour so soon. The stars just happened to align for him in 2019. And now Froome with that horrible injury is a big question mark. So it is reasonable for Ineos to back Bernal and Thomas first before Froome.

 

[SafeBet]

Well looks like Froome might be on another team by the time TDF starts

What?

 

[del1962]

What?

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/chris-froome-in-discussions-over-a-mid-season-transfer/

 

[dusty red roads]

I can't see a move happening, I think it's just making some contract renewal bargaining noise.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I can't see a move happening, I think it's just making some contract renewal bargaining noise.

This was my thinking exactly. He knows it would be a blow for Ineos if he were to leave, because however you slice it, he is still the biggest name on the team. And even if they would feel confident putting their eggs in Bernal's basket with Froome and Thomas as backup, they would feel a lot less confident with Froome as an adversary, regardless of questionmarks regarding his recovery.

 

[Oldermanish]

This was my thinking exactly. He knows it would be a blow for Ineos if he were to leave, because however you slice it, he is still the biggest name on the team. And even if they would feel confident putting their eggs in Bernal's basket with Froome and Thomas as backup, they would feel a lot less confident with Froome as an adversary, regardless of questionmarks regarding his recovery.

The problem with keeping Froome is he has never been good about "supporting" another rider. GT won because he countered Froome's attacks on several key stages and Froome, with Bernal's help came back slightly and was willing to kill him self doing it. Bernal proved he was a true team guy, even while winning last year's Tour. Wiggins may have some comment on that Froome characteristic as well. He could be an unwanted disruptor.
If he did go to Movistar he would find himself in Roglic's position at the end of some key stages; without support. Soler will not willingly give up his ambition (ask Quintana). Movistar's challenge with Soler is his lack of maturity and temperate strategy skills. Froome to Movi would be entertaining for awhile, though.

 

[Koronin]

The problem with keeping Froome is he has never been good about "supporting" another rider. GT won because he countered Froome's attacks on several key stages and Froome, with Bernal's help came back slightly and was willing to kill him self doing it. Bernal proved he was a true team guy, even while winning last year's Tour. Wiggins may have some comment on that Froome characteristic as well. He could be an unwanted disruptor.
If he did go to Movistar he would find himself in Roglic's position at the end of some key stages; without support. Soler will not willingly give up his ambition (ask Quintana). Movistar's challenge with Soler is his lack of maturity and temperate strategy skills. Froome to Movi would be entertaining for awhile, though.

I would actually be even worse than what Quintana had to deal with. He would be going to a team in Movistar that already has 3 leaders who get along with each other extremely well. Mas and Soler are friends and they not only get along well with Valverde, but Valverde wants to not only race with them but help , coach and teach them. Froome would have a situation with 3 riders on that team who will never support him because they have their own amibtions and Mas was specifically brought in to be the GC leader with Soler. Froome would have to deal with a team in which Valverde who set his calendar first and everyone does theirs around his. Where Valverde more or less has control of the team. Remember the documentary where at the Tour where Valverde tried to ignore the entire situation and nothing worked at all, then at la Vuelta where he was racing for GC and the entire team (minus Quintana) was there to rally around him and support him. Then you have the fact that even if Valverde actually wants to help he's never going to be that useful as a domestique anyway because he's a puncheur not a climber and thus isn't really of any use for help in the mountains anyway, plus there's his major issues with altitude that have gotten worse and where you can see his decline. Froome to Movistar would be even more of a disaster than Quintana and Landa together as you'd actually have 3 current leaders on the team who would likely work together against the outsider and Froome would never get who he wants at the Tour anyway as 4 slots are already filled with Mas, Soler, Valverde and Erviti who will be there specifically for Valverde. So if he thinks his situation would be bad at Ineos where the riders more or less follow what the team wants, does he want to go to a team where the riders basically run the show and are unlikely to really listen to the team and more likely to listen to their own long time team leader? Did he not watch the Movistar documentary? Does he really want to end up in the same situation Quintana was in last year?

 

[dusty red roads]

As I said I can't see him anywhere else but Ineos, and don't see him as a good fit for Movi's style, but as for all these Movi discussions with 3 leaders already etc - I think it's a moot point, remember Froome is only interested in the Tour, and perhaps Dauphine if it goes ahead beforehand. He doesn't care about the other races, an who leads them. Valverde isn't going to try and win the tour.

 

[Koronin]

As I said I can't see him anywhere else but Ineos, and don't see him as a good fit for Movi's style, but as for all these Movi discussions with 3 leaders already etc - I think it's a moot point, remember Froome is only interested in the Tour, and perhaps Dauphine if it goes ahead beforehand. He doesn't care about the other races, an who leads them. Valverde isn't going to try and win the tour.

Mas and Soler are and Valverde is very supportive of the two of them.

 

[dusty red roads]

True, but neither of them have shown they're capable of winning it this year. I'd be happy if one of them did!

 

[Escarabajo]

As I said I can't see him anywhere else but Ineos, and don't see him as a good fit for Movi's style, but as for all these Movi discussions with 3 leaders already etc - I think it's a moot point, remember Froome is only interested in the Tour, and perhaps Dauphine if it goes ahead beforehand. He doesn't care about the other races, an who leads them. Valverde isn't going to try and win the tour.

The Tour is the most important race. And Movistar will take everyone with them, Soler, Mas and Valverde. Add Froome to the group. Valverde is not going to win the Tour but he will support Soler and Mas and his quest for stage hunting. And Valverde will not bow down to anyone when he is on a mission to win stages.

 

[Red Rick]

Over the hill GT rider out for his final contract.

How can Trek possibly resist?

 

[dusty red roads]

The Tour is the most important race. And Movistar will take everyone with them, Soler, Mas and Valverde. Add Froome to the group. Valverde is not going to win the Tour but he will support Soler and Mas and his quest for stage hunting. And Valverde will not bow down to anyone when he is on a mission to win stages.

That would sure be a fun watch! But nah, it ain't happening, ol' Froome won't be on that team.

 

[Bonimenier]

The Tour is the most important race. And Movistar will take everyone with them, Soler, Mas and Valverde. Add Froome to the group. Valverde is not going to win the Tour but he will support Soler and Mas and his quest for stage hunting. And Valverde will not bow down to anyone when he is on a mission to win stages.

Stages? Plural? Considering his level earlier this season he may be happy if he manages to win just 1 stage.

 

[Oldermanish]

Stages? Plural? Considering his level earlier this season he may be happy if he manages to win just 1 stage.

That's a huge problem being a GC player on the team. You're not totally certain when Valverde is hunting or fishing; sort of paralyses the ability to tactically respond. That's what made Soler's theatrics so maddening when Quintana was headed for the GC lead at la Vuelta. Tactically I've never known a stage win to trump the GC jersey as a priority.

 

[Koronin]

That's a huge problem being a GC player on the team. You're not totally certain when Valverde is hunting or fishing; sort of paralyses the ability to tactically respond. That's what made Soler's theatrics so maddening when Quintana was headed for the GC lead at la Vuelta. Tactically I've never known a stage win to trump the GC jersey as a priority.

That team is used to Valverde's leadership. In the final KMs of stages he always releases his teammates. If he feels they are stronger than he is or better suited for that stage he'll release them to go try to get something for themselves.

Stages? Plural? Considering his level earlier this season he may be happy if he manages to win just 1 stage.

Remember at least part of Valverde's early season problems was the new SRAM gearing that he was complaining about. From some report SRAM gave in and sent the team the better gearing including the gearing that Valverde specifically wants.

 

[Bonimenier]

Colombia extended their ban of international flights until August 31. Let's hope they will make some kind of exception for professional sporters, otherwise we might not see Bernal in the Tour this year which starts August 29.

 

[BlueRoads]

Did you just... write that?

 

[Nacho23]

We don't even have airports here in the southamerican jungle.

*And we are the the ones supposed to be living in the third world.

 

[Nacho23]

The Colombian Sports Ministry and the Cycling Federation is coordinating with riders and teams so that approximately 100 cyclist (UCI and local teams) can travel before international flights are open here in Colombia (in our jungle airports).

Egan will be there!

 

[janraaskalt]

The Colombian Sports Ministry and the Cycling Federation is coordinating with riders and teams so that approximately 100 cyclist (UCI and local teams) can travel before international flights are open here in Colombia (in our jungle airports).

Egan will be there!

Of course Bernal is allowed to travel to (the Tour de) France. I am convinced that the Colombian president himself will bring Egan in a kayak over the ocean to France, if that's necessary.

 

[Nacho23]

The Colombian president is a bit overweight, so charter flights are a possibility they are exploring (along the Kayak voyage).

 

[Escarabajo]

Reminds me of when I watched Narcos for the first time, one of those first episodes, when they were arriving to Bogota in the airplane, the DEA agent was showing his wife the jungle. I stopped watching right there. I could not continue anymore. Or every stupid movie that wants to depict most of Colombia like Cartagena weather or a jungle.