A difficult uphill closing time trial noticed Egan Bernal slip from third to fourth within the total standings on the Tour de Suisse however the Colombian is hopeful that he has finished sufficient to earn a spot on Ineos-Grenadiers’ workforce for a GC tilt on the Tour de France, which begins on June 29 in Firenze.
“It was laborious. I hoped to maintain the rostrum on this race, however that is biking. I had a nasty day on the bike,” Bernal stated in a post-race interview in Villars-sur-Ollon.
“I did my finest however I am feeling a bit unhappy, additionally due to the workforce, as a result of we labored actually laborious all week for this podium and, ultimately, I simply misplaced it by 10 seconds, or no matter it was.”
Bernal completed fifth on stage 4 atop Gotthard Go and moved as much as fourth total earlier than leaping up one spot after taking third on stage 5’s summit end to Carì. He went into the ultimate day, stage 8, holding third place total at 1:51 behind eventual total winner Adam Yates and runner-up João Almeida, each UAE Group Emirates.
Nevertheless, within the 15.7km race in opposition to the clock from Aigle to Villars-sur-Ollon that included a ten.2km climb that averaging 8.2% the rostrum place slipped away. Almeida gained the stage, with Yates taking second place and profitable the general title. Bernal completed ninth at 1:30 again dropping to fourth place total behind Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek), who completed third within the closing stage.
Bernal hasn’t raced on the Tour de Suisse since he gained it in 2019 and stated the race appeared more durable than he remembered however that it additionally provided some perception into his type forward of larger targets this season.
“It’s at all times a tough race, however I believe on this version, we had been going actually quick on the climbs. The extent was tremendous excessive, and for certain, we did good coaching for the upcoming races,” Bernal stated.
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Following a life-threatening crash in early 2022 and return to racing, Bernal’s total situation has improved steadily, with a seventh at Paris-Good, third place within the Volta a Catalunya – his first WorldTour podium since his comeback – tenth at Tour de Romandie and now fourth total on the Tour de Suisse.
Ineos-Grenadiers have but to announce their Tour de France workforce, a race Bernal gained in 2019, however he stated that if he does participate he want to see if an total classification bid was attainable.
When requested the place he might be racing subsequent, Bernal stated, “Hopefully the Tour and I believe with the Tour I might be comfortable.”
‘I do not wish to be somebody who simply finishes within the high 10 in GC on a regular basis’ says Pidcock
Bernal’s teammate Tom Pidcock stated he had among the finest time trials of his profession on stage 8 on the Tour de Suisse. He completed fifth on the day, 50 seconds slower than Almeida, and moved to sixth place total.
“It was considered one of my finest time trial outcomes since turning professional, so I could be actually pleased with that. Every single day, I’ve gotten higher this week. I began off, actually, not good, coming from altitude, and I used to be tremendous mild, and on daily basis was getting higher. That was my finest time trial, the numbers had been actually excessive, so I believe I could be actually comfortable,” Pidcock stated.
The reigning World Champion, Olympic gold medallist in cross-country mountain biking and former Cyclocross World Champion stated that with coaching, he believes he may additionally win the largest stage races.
“It exhibits what, form of, follow does. We have had 5 days in a row within the mountains, and every day, I am getting higher. It is actually constructive for me to see.” Pidcock stated after shifting as much as sixth total.
“After all, I do not wish to be somebody who simply finishes within the high 10 in GC on a regular basis, however it’s actually constructive for the longer term.”
Pidcock will now flip his consideration to the fifth spherical of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Sequence, which is being held in Crans-Montana, Valais, within the Swiss Alps. He says he’ll keep there till heading to the Tour de France.
“Proper now, I’m going to Crans-Montana tonight and I race the World Cup subsequent weekend earlier than going to the Tour. So, I do not go house. I keep right here in Switzerland.”
