Egan Bernal could head to the Giro with Arensman, but what does Oscar Onley’s arrival mean for the Colombian?

Bernal missed nearly the entire 2022 season after a serious training accident. When he returned, the form that had made him both Tour de France and Giro d’Italia winner was still far from fully restored, but gradually he managed to build up. In 2025 we saw the Colombian at his best level since the crash: he finished seventh overall in the Giro d’Italia and won a stage in the Vuelta a España.

If he can continue that upward trend, the still-only 29-year-old Bernal might edge closer to the very top again. But INEOS Grenadiers won’t wait around. With the signings of Onley — and also Kévin Vauquelin — the British team has added two potential future stars.

So what can we expect from the Colombian champion in the new season? “In principle I hope to ride the Giro d’Italia,” he said in an interview with RCN. “But as with everything, you have to look at it race by race, day by day. Anything can happen. They will take the strongest riders to the Giro, so you have to earn your spot. No one will give anything away for free.”

Whether Bernal will ride the Giro still remains to be seen. Belgian commentator Jeroen Vanbelleghem previously suggested that Onley might actually be the one to start in the Italian Grand Tour, arguing that the Tour de France podium is probably too ambitious this year. “Onley finished fourth in the Tour. In my view he couldn’t do better than that, when you look at this year’s start list,” the Belgian said.

Bernal likely won’t be the only INEOS climber targeting the Giro. Thymen Arensman also hopes to return to Italy in 2026, the same set-up as in 2025, with mixed results — the Colombian showed strength, but the Dutchman finished 29th overall. Arensman later won two stages in the Tour de France.

Bernal says he won’t give up in the general classification fight — he has too much experience to do so easily. “You have to keep both feet on the ground and keep working hard. But right now my focus is on the national championships. After that I’ll go to Europe to race. The team has a lot of plans, but you know how it is — we look at it day by day.”