There was hope for more, but Bernal finally feels like a GC contender again: "Now fighting for the win"

Bernal's crash in 2022 turned the climber's life upside down. He was severely injured, and for a moment, it seemed as if he would never be able to ride again. Once back in the peloton, he struggled to find his old form, and even now, he is not quite there yet. But his performance in the Giro gives him a lot of courage. "The art of knowing how to suffer has guided me down many paths. And all roads lead to Rome... Here I am. In Rome, with another Giro in my legs," Bernal said on his Instagram page.

After two weeks, the winner of the 2019 Giro seemed to be one of the best climbers. But he fell out of contention for the podium in the last two stages. In the end, he finished almost 13 minutes behind winner Simon Yates. "Seventh place may not be the result we dreamed of, but it gives me peace of mind that I gave it my all. And I want more than ever to get back to the person I was."

On his team's website, the INEOS Grenadiers rider talks about his plans for the coming years. The goal is clear. "Being back in the GC mix is very exciting and marks a great step forward for the future. I hope I will contend for a Grand Tour victory again in the future. I wake up everyday thinking of that. If you want to reach the moon, you have to shoot for the stars."

If anyone understands what Bernal has been through, it's his girlfriend. She helped her boyfriend through a difficult period and saw him rediscover himself as a professional cyclist. "We understand everything," Maria Fernanda Gutierrez said on Instagram. "We've already won. Sometimes life surprises you with things you didn't plan, and that's where the magic lies: in having the strength to keep going."

“21 tough, intense, and unforgettable days are behind us. You managed to excite us, inspire us, and make us dream with every step you took. We have nothing but admiration for you." Those were beautiful words from Gutierrez, but Thymen Arensman also praised his teammates. Normally, the two would have led the team in Italy, but Arensman dropped to 29th place, partly due to a crash. "So proud of you, Egan," said the Dutchman.