Bruyneel understands INEOS's tactics, but questions Bernal: 'he won't come back'

Movistar's unexpected takeover of stage four put Egan Bernal in serious difficulty. Netcompany INEOS suddenly found one of their two co-leaders dropped, leaving Ben Turner to sacrifice his stage win hopes to bring him back. Turner was visibly upset afterwards — but was it the right call? Johan Bruyneel weighed in on THEMOVE.

The ferocious Movistar tempo had already been too much for pink jersey holder Guillermo Thomas Silva, but few people would have predicted that Bernal would follow him shortly after. Turner dropped back and repaired the damage — though he was barely able to hide his disappointment in the post-stage interview, fighting to hold back tears.

"It feels like a big disappointment, to be honest," he said afterwards. "I had good legs. It was good to look after Egan, and I'm glad he didn't lose time. That's good. I was climbing with some really good guys — there weren't many left. It was nice to have that feeling again. At least the form is there."

Turner acknowledged that his team had their priorities, but was that the right decision? "I was surprised to see Bernal dropped there. That's not normal for him. People say he has issues after rest days, and that's possible. But even on a bad day, Bernal doesn't get dropped by a group of around 40 riders — especially when you look at who was still in that group," Bruyneel analysed on THEMOVE.

Perhaps the Colombian was unwell, the former Belgian professional suggested. "That's also a possibility. Their only option was to have Ben Turner wait. I saw his interview and he was really not happy — hugely disappointed. He had every reason to be. And when you see that he still finished fourth in the stage after all the work he had to put in to get back on. They had to ride so hard."

It was Turner who made a colossal effort on the descent and on the flat to bring Bernal back to the front group. "They had no choice — they had to make him wait. You can't just leave one of your two... I think Bernal still has a better pedigree in Grand Tours than Thymen Arensman," Bruyneel judged.

And: "We don't know what they know, of course. If Bernal was unwell and they thought he'd come good, you can't just leave him on his own." Turner also offered no certainty of success in any case. "He was there, but there was no guarantee he was going to win the stage either. It's a trade-off and a difficult call to make, but I think they made the right one."

Of course, that is still hard on Turner. "He's very strong. He won a sprint stage at last year's Vuelta. This was a good finish for him and I think he could have won — but that's with the benefit of hindsight. In the moment you have to make the call, and you have to make it calculated."

"You definitely shouldn't leave Bernal on his own, and you should try to save the situation." Especially when you consider what the Colombian has achieved in his career, Bruyneel feels. "At the end of the day, this is also a former Tour and Giro winner. He's someone who is hugely respected within the team."

"Then maybe you don't win the stage — fine — but you keep your options intact," Bruyneel added. And yet he is worried about what comes next. "I fear for Bernal. If this already happens today. on a stage like Tuesday's, then Wednesday's stage is even harder. If he drops tomorrow, he won't come back." Stage five is indeed a demanding one.