(Reuters) – Colombian Egan Bernal will make his return on the Tour de France after a two-year hiatus, his Ineos Grenadiers team said on Monday.
The 2019 champion abandoned the race in 2020, skipped it in 2021 as he won the Giro d’Italia and missed out on the 2022 edition after he sustained serious injuries in a high-speed crash early last year.
“Making my return to the Tour has always been a major goal for me. I’m so excited to be able to experience every kilometre of this race again,” Bernal said in a team statement.
“I’m sure many people have followed everything that has happened to me since my accident in January last year, and the journey I’ve been through to overcome the greatest test of my life.
“Being a part of this year’s Tour team reassures me that I’m on my way to returning to my best.”
Bernal finished 12th overall in the Criterium du Dauphine, the biggest warm-up stage race before the Tour earlier this month.
Ineos Grenadiers will be led by Britain’s Tom Pidcock, with Colombia’s Dani Martinez also in a position to ride for the general classification.
The Tour starts in Bilbao, Spain, on Saturday.
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
