Without a doubt, Egan Bernal is one of the most beloved champions in cycling and this year we will see him again at the Giro d'Italia. He is not the favorite, but day by day he could improve and understand how far he can go. Thanks to his simple yet attacking style of racing, he has managed to win the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia, being considered one of the best riders of the last decade.

The Colombian is particularly loved in Italy because in Piedmont he grew up under the guidance of Gianni Savio, who passed away on December 30th, in an environment where he could express himself at his best. Bernal is 28 years old and when he was born on January 13, 1997, he seemed to already have a destiny marked by cycling, because on January 13 Marco Pantani was also born, who over time became his idol.

The Colombian surprised the world in 2019 at the Tour de France, becoming the first Colombian in the yellow jersey, and at the 2021 Giro d'Italia, he was an absolute dominator. Everything changed for him on January 24, 2022, when he was training in Colombia and crashed into a bus at over 60 kilometers per hour that had suddenly stopped. A devastating collision, and today seeing him back on a bike seems almost a miracle. "I was saved only by God," Bernal had said shortly after the accident - I risked my life and had a 95% chance of ending up in a wheelchair. Returning to a normal life was difficult, but returning to cycling was even more complicated, with six surgeries for femur and kneecap fractures, in addition to six damaged vertebrae.

His comeback was complicated and painful and there were moments when he thought about retiring, because when you're used to being the strongest, you can't bear the idea of having to ride in the middle of the pack.

Things definitely improved starting last year, when at O Gran Gran Camino he finished second in the stage to Chantada, behind Jonas Vingegaard. An important result that became even more significant when he finished third in the overall classification, behind Jonas Vingegaard and Lenny Martinez. At Paris-Nice he obtained two fifth places, but it was again in Spain at the Giro di Catalunya that he managed to make a difference. Another third place overall, behind Pogacar and Landa, leaving behind riders of the caliber of Vlasov and Mas.

At the Tour de Romandie he couldn't go beyond sixth place, while in Switzerland shortly after, his sensations improved, conquering third place in the climbers' classification. The Tour de France was still too challenging for him and that's why he will now race the Giro d'Italia. For Bernal, the relationship with Italy is strong, and it's on Italian roads that he has decided to turn his career around to experience the strong emotions of being competitive and able to attack his rivals.

Too much time has passed since that Giro d'Italia victory and even if he won't start as a favorite this year, we know that he will try to discover himself day by day, daring to push his limits. The Colombian knows cycling well, knows how to race aggressively, and that's why he could surprise suddenly with unexpected actions even in simpler stages. He's always strong in time trials, and in Tirana, already on the second day of the race, he could reserve some surprises.

We will see him race on our roads wearing the Colombian national champion jersey, thanks to the titles won in February, where he was the strongest in both the road race and time trial, and this result says a lot about his physical condition.

"We have a very balanced team for this year's Giro, with guys who can support us in the mountains and others who can seize stage victory opportunities," Bernal said through the Ineos Grenadiers statement. "The team wants to win and we will go out and fight every day."

With Bernal will be Thymen Arensman (Netherlands), Brandon Rivera (Colombia), Jonathan Castroviejo (Spain), Lucas Hamilton (Australia), Kim Heiduk (Germany), Josh Tarling (Great Britain) and Ben Turner (Great Britain). The team will aim for the general classification and at the same time, there will be opportunities to let some riders go free to conquer some stage victories.