The official Egan Bernal is the new Egan Bernal thread

[bajbar]

IIRC a heatwave around the 2nd rest day and into the last week. Then the storms arrived a few days later.

Both days (Galibier and Iseran) last year were colder and humid, much like today.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Both days (Galibier and Iseran) last year were colder and humid, much like today.

Yes, which both were a few days after the second rest day weren’t they? I’m sure the week started with a heatwave though.

 

[lenric]

Think if he doesn't drop Roglic on GC it's gonna be nearly impossible

If Pogacar drops Roglic, Bernal will follow. I can see that happening in the last week. And if that happens, I'm not sure whether Roglic can gain that much time on both of them.

 

[Eclipse]

imo he's going to do serious damage before the race is done. He finally started to look like the Bernal cycling knows today.

I also think Ineos being non-existent is a bit overblown. Lots of pulling off early and not going too deep. If Egan has his legs I think we'll see a lot more support suddenly present itself.

 

[Gigs_98]

Looked a lot better today. Yesterday and stage 6 might come back to haunt JV badly

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Looked a lot better today. Yesterday and stage 6 might come back to haunt JV badly

One would start to hope. Didn't expect i'd be saying that a month ago.

 

[ppanther92]

Looked a lot better today. Yesterday and stage 6 might come back to haunt JV badly

And not that unfairly. Should have done more. Bernal's form trajectory looks good.

 

[Jan the Man]

Stage 17 looks tailor made for him if he can continue to improve- maybe another climb would help but the finishing climb after the madeilene is hard enough to put 2-3 minutes into anyone having a semi-bad day

 

[Ted Striker]

Looked a lot better today. Yesterday and stage 6 might come back to haunt JV badly

I hope it comes back to bite them

 

[Escarabajo]

Bernal in the interview said about the reporter asking him why the Ineos team was at the front?:

"Because I told them to. I was feeling good. Things didn't work out the way we wanted but you have to try. If don't try you don't win. Sometimes you lose and sometimes you win. But you got to try".

About today's attack he said: "I was feeling good and I was having fun going around the streets of the city. I went by instinct. You have to enjoy the race"

There you have it.

 

[Nacho23]

He also said yesterday that he was performing at he's highest numbers, but it had come to the rivals simply being better.

 

[luckyboy]

Any point in staying after the rest day? Not going to win a stage and what value is maybe fighting for 10th? 5 weeks to the Vuelta...

 

[Red Rick]

Any point in staying after the rest day? Not going to win a stage and what value is maybe fighting for 10th? 5 weeks to the Vuelta...

Depends on what's wrong with him. If they don't, use rest day to find out.

 

[roundabout]

Any point in staying after the rest day? Not going to win a stage and what value is maybe fighting for 10th? 5 weeks to the Vuelta...

If riding on doesn't make whatever issue he has worse, then there is also little point in abandoning.

 

[SafeBet]

This was one of the worst climbing performance of Bernal's career in the WT, and possibly ever.

It's pretty clear something is off. Might be related to his back injury or a mistimed preparation due to lockdown or even an undisclosed illness.

I think anything happening in 2020 shouldn't automatically be taken as an indication of riders present or future level. And this applies to Bernal as to many other riders. It's been an odd year for everyone. Some respond better than others, physically and emotionally. I still consider Bernal a champion and look forward watching him fight for a GT win again soon.

 

[Jan the Man]

This was one of the worst climbing performance of Bernal's career in the WT, and possibly ever.

It's pretty clear something is off. Might be related to his back injury or a mistimed preparation due to lockdown or even an undisclosed illness.

I think anything happening in 2020 shouldn't automatically be taken as an indication of riders present or future level. And this applies to Bernal as to many other riders. It's been an odd year for everyone. Some respond better than others, physically and emotionally. I still consider Bernal a champion and look forward watching him fight for a GT win again soon.

Agree- to finish 7 minutes down suggests it is something more than just a bad day.

 

[topt]

he cracked, thats it, even admits it , eventhough I am sure the sky propaganda machine will find an excuse in the following days

 

[JosephK]

This was one of the worst climbing performance of Bernal's career in the WT, and possibly ever.

It's pretty clear something is off. Might be related to his back injury or a mistimed preparation due to lockdown or even an undisclosed illness.

I think anything happening in 2020 shouldn't automatically be taken as an indication of riders present or future level. And this applies to Bernal as to many other riders. It's been an odd year for everyone. Some respond better than others, physically and emotionally. I still consider Bernal a champion and look forward watching him fight for a GT win again soon.

Yes. I think having won the Tour de France at age 22 is a pretty good entry for Bernal's palmares. He's not looked like himself the past several weeks. I expect to see him back competing for grand tour wins in 2021.

 

[Escarabajo]

Something is off. Unless he forgot to eat or something like that, but I find that very difficult to believe.

 

[geisterhome]

Yes. I think having won the Tour de France at age 22 is a pretty good entry for Bernal's palmares. He's not looked like himself the past several weeks. I expect to see him back competing for grand tour wins in 2021.

Idk, he reminds me of Iban Mayo...

 

[Escarabajo]

Idk, he reminds me of Iban Mayo...

How is he similar to Iban Mayo????

Sometimes I think people only watch Tour de France only.

 

[lenric]

Now just imagine Froome being a domestique to Bernal in the Vuelta (which I'd say is quite likely, seeing how things are turning out with Froome).

 

[luckyboy]

Bernal will need someone for the mountains there too.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Bernal was able to take responsibility gracefully, didn't try to find excuses. I am sure he (and his team) will come back stronger.

P.S. Realistically, too much weight was put on his shoulders.

 

[how yes no?]

In Slovenian national tv post race analysis guest today was also Jani Brajkovič, who commented on Bernal not being well and said Bernal was in hospital on Wednesday.