Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) has said the 2023 Critérium du Dauphine will decide his upcoming race program as the 2019 Tour de France winner struck a cautiously upbeat note about his current state of form.
Speaking before stage 1 of the Dauphiné, Bernal pointed out that following his life-threatening accident in January 2022, the 2023 race is his first major event in almost two years and thus represents a key test in his current progress back to top form.
Bernal was notably cagey about his upcoming program, saying that his only event at the moment is the Criterium du Dauphiné, although it's common knowledge his big summer goal is taking part in the fast-approaching Tour de France.
"I'm feeling good. I have been training well, so for sure I have good feelings, but as always training is different from racing, so for sure this is a good test for me," Bernal told FloBikes.
He delivered an optimistic message on his Instagram account after the stage, writing. "Here we are, first stage done with a lot of rain but with even more hope and motivation than before."
"Remember that to reach the moon you have to aim for the sun."
After finishing 21st and safely in the main group after the hilly finale of stage 1, crucial tests for Bernal this week include the stage 4 time trial and the trio of mountainous stages beginning on Friday.
After coming eighth in the Tour de Hongrie, his most recent race in mid-May despite a heavy crash on stage 1, the Colombian says he is not looking beyond completing the Dauphiné for now.
"I'm not thinking so far ahead to be honest," Bernal told FloBikes when asked what the ideal scenario for him would be up until the end of July. "I just want to finish this race, and I would like to know where I am, because I have been racing in different races, but not like the Dauphiné.
"This is going to be the first big, big race I've done in two years, so it's a good test already. So the best scenario is to finish this race and really know where I am."
Bernal seemed genuinely uncertain about where he would be racing next, limiting himself to saying "It depends how the race goes."
"I'm not sure how I am going, not even my coach is, everyone – we don't know. But this race is a good test and we have some options open."
After Sunday's stage 1 with its tough succession of climbs on a finishing circuit, stage 2 of the Dauphine from Brassac-les-Mines to La Chaise Dieu on Monday is once again hilly and ends with an uphill sprint finish with a 5.1% gradient in the last kilometre. Bernal's biggest challenges in the race, though, are from Wednesday onwards.
