Egan Bernal: Tour de France Winner The world of professional cycling has been taken over by Egan Bernal, the 2019 Tour de France General Classification winner as well as the Tour’s Best Young Rider. It seemed the 22-year old came out of nowhere to upstage his world-class Ineos teammates, outclimb the climbers, and steal the Yellow Jersey with just a few stages remaining. But the phenomenon that is Egan Bernal has been brewing for years and a series of events came together to put Bernal in position to make some serious impact. Tour Recap If you followed the Tour de France this year, you know it was one of the most exciting in recent memory. Crashes, altered routes, snow and sleet, as well as temps over 40 Celsius all contributed to the drama that made up the 106th running of Le Grande Boucle. In Bernal’s sophomore effort, he generally held back and supported teammate and defending champion, Geraint Thomas. A Chance Injury Bernal might have missed out on a podium chance entirely this year if he hadn’t broken his collarbone in May during a training exercise. He had been preparing for his debut Team Leader position for the Giro d’Italia 2019. However, the injury changed his focus to the Tour de France instead, where he would be third in the Ineos pecking order behind Thomas and 4-time Tour de France Champion, Chris Froome. When Froome crashed out midway through the Critérium du Dauphiné, Bernal was propelled from super-domestique to co-leader in a heartbeat. 2019 Tour de France Performance Fast forward to the Tour de France. Bernal was in the top 10 from Stage 2 on, and had climbed to second in the GC rankings, just 4 seconds ahead of Thomas, when the peloton came to the great equalizer, the mountain stages. The plan for Stage 19 was to send Bernal up the mountain to make space between Team Ineos and GC leader Julian Alaphilippe. No one knew that on the other side of the mountain, the road had been nearly washed away by freak storm of snow and hail near Val-d’Isère on the final ascent to Tignes. Race officials had no choice but to amend the stage, taking times from the summit of the Col de l’Iseran as the official ranking. Bernal was now 45 seconds in the lead. He kept the Yellow Jersey through a much shortened 20th stage and the next day, crossed the finish line as the first Latin American to win the Tour de France on the Champs-Élysées, hand in hand with Geraint Thomas, who placed 2nd overall. Bernal also won the White Jersey awarded to the best rider under 25. But he wasn’t simply the best Young Rider in the competition, he was the youngest winner in 110 years. The potential for this kid is extremely exciting for all those interested in cycling. Bernal Background Growing up, Bernal got into cycling thanks to his dad, who raced amateurly and would take the boy out on adventures through the mountains of Zipaquirá, near Bogota, Colombia. His love of the sport started with mountain bikes and he was hooked after entering a local competition (against his father’s wishes) and winning easily. He began making the podium at more and more mountain biking competitions as a teenager and caught the attention of an Italian professional competitor, who alerted Gianni Savio, manager of the Androni-Sidermec-Bottecchia cycling team. Even though Bernal had never raced on the road, Savio spotted the talent immediately and signed the 19-year old to a four-year deal. Perhaps part of the reason Savio snapped Bernal up so quickly is one of the keys to Egan’s success: his astronomical VO2 Max reading. This measures how quickly your lungs, heart, and muscles can process oxygen during intense physical exercise. At 19 years old, Bernal registered 88.8 mL/kg/min. For reference, a reading of over 55.9 is considered superior for men aged 13-19. The highest recorded VO2 Max reading came from Bjørn Dæhlie, a cross-country skier whose Max reached 96 mL/kg/min. Egan grew up at around 2,652 meters above sea level and because there is less air to consume at higher altitudes, his lungs adjusted. This, no doubt, contributed to his exemplary VO2 Max result. The Big Time Egan Bernal had skipped the junior level of competing and jumped straight into the professional realm with Team Androni-Sidermec-Bottecchia, but it would not last long. The word on him was out and that’s when he garnered the keen stare of cycling superpower, Team Ineos (then Team Sky). Manager David Brailsford, like Savio, was enamored by Egan and his raw talent and dedication. In 2017, Brailsford signed the young Colombian to an unprecedented 5-year contract. Keep in mind that even the likes of Chris Froome and Peter Sagan typically only sign for 3 to 4 years. Colombia’s Love of Cycling Egan comes from a country that simply loves to get out on a bike. There is a cycling culture in Colombia that is as strong as the mountains are high. We’ve seen some incredible athletes come out of Colombia like Efraín Forero Triviño, the first of the so-called “escarabajos”, or beetles. It was Triviño who created the Vuelta de Colombia. Mountain passes like El Páramo de Letras beckon riders from all over the world. This is where Egan cut his teeth, so to speak. This year’s Tour de France featured several hard working, talented, Colombian escarabajos. In fact, 3 of the top 10 finishers were Colombian. Rigoberto Uran and Nairo Quintana placed 7th and 8th, respectively, in the overall General Classification. What’s Next? The world is now aware that the young phenom Egan Bernal is here to stay. And he can’t stay off the road long these days. He is set to enter the Clásica San Sebastián, which will start just a week after the conclusion of the Tour de France. The cycling world knows how special this young athlete is, and even his teammates can’t wait to see him continue to improve and compete. “He could become one of the greatest ever. Froome is probably the best Grand Tour rider at the moment with his record and consistency but I think Egan can be just as good, or even improve.” –Geraint Thomas, Team Ineos Featured Articles PGA Tour Championship Starts Today! Sarah Karlsson | 2019-08-22The PGA Tour Championship starts today with some major changes to the format. With $15 million to the winner, we take a look at the action.Tiger Woods Out of Northern Trust Sarah Karlsson | 2019-08-09Tiger Woods is out of the Northern Trust after one round. Let's look at what this means for him, as well as the rest of the FedEx Cup field.Egan Bernal: Tour de France Winner Sarah Karlsson | 2019-08-02Colombian Egan Bernal is the first Latin American Tour de France winner. It's is his first major win, but it certainly won't be his last.Stage 19: Chaos at the Tour de France Sarah Karlsson | 2019-07-27Stage 19 finished quicker than expected, thanks to Mother Nature. We enter the final stage of importance with a rider in the Yellow Jersey . GET $270 IN FREE BETS & BONUSES! Claim Now New Customers Only | 18+ | T&Cs Apply Recommended Bookmakers GambleAware.co.uk 1. Sign up via the claim button below. 2. Deposit €10 or more into your 1xbet account. 3. 1XBet will credit you with your bonus into your sportsbook account. 4. 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Stage 19: Chaos at the Tour de France Stage 19 proved to be quite a chaotic day with landslides, hail, and the Yellow Jersey changing riders. The 2019 Tour de France is on the verge of crowning its newest champion as we head to Stage 20, the last chance for riders to make their mark on this year’s Tour. Stage 19 This penultimate stage featured 126.5km of tough mountain climbs from Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to Tignes, most of which are around 6% but we caught glimpses of 10% inclines. Team Ineos led the peloton until bottom of the Col d’Iseran. The team fought back and with just over 4km to the top, Egan Bernal broke free of his opponents one by one to summit Iseran solo. The descent was cut short by Tour officials, who had no choice but to end the stage after an unexpected and powerful hail storm caused a landslide that wiped out part of the road at km 112. With Bernal over 2 minutes ahead of leader Julian Alaphilippe at the summit, the young Colombian nabbed the Yellow Jersey, however, there was no stage winner appointed. Egan took the overall lead over Alaphilippe by 45 seconds, followed by teammate Geraint Thomas at 1 minute 11 seconds back. Pinot Out Contender for King of the Mountains, Thibaut Pinot, had to quit the race after just 36km into the stage due to a leg injury. Pinot received medical attention but ultimately had to abandon his push for the finish line. The Frenchman was visibly emotional as he made the decision. Before starting Stage 19, he was in 5th place for the Polka Dot Jersey. Stage 20 In the last chance to make a difference, riders will be faced with a short but intense mountain stage. The stage was scheduled to be 130km, but race officials altered the route, shaving off an incredible 71km due to weather and road conditions, transforming this stage from a climb to essentially a very difficult 59km sprint. The peloton will now go straight from Albertville to the final brutal 33km ascent to Val Thorens. The change cuts out category 2 climb Côte de Longefoy and category 1 Cormet de Roselend. Classification Updates After 19 Stages, the Yellow Jersey is now held by Egan Bernal, followed by Alaphilippe and Thomas. Alaphilippe on losing the Yellow Jersey: “I gave everything but I was beaten by a stronger rider. I don’t think I can get the yellow jersey back but it was a dream to have worn it for so long. It was longer than I could have imagined.” The Frenchman held the lead for 14 stages but the mountains proved to be too much to hold out to Paris. White Jersey The best young rider is still Bernal, who is only competing in his 2nd Tour de France ever. At 22, he is blazing his way through the cycling world. His closest competition for the White Jersey is over 20 minutes back. Teammate Geraint Thomas has relinquished control of Team Ineos and will ride for Bernal in Stage 20. Polka Dot Jersey Who will be King of the Mountains? Romain Bardet and Tim Wellens are neck and neck points-wise, at 86 and 74, respectively. Italian Damiano Caruso is also in the hunt with 67 points. Egan Bernal picked up 40 points in the category for Stage 19, leaving scraps for these 3 contenders. Stage 20 will decide who dons the Polka Dot Jersey as they ride into Paris on Sunday. Green Jersey Peter Sagan is looking strong to claim his record 7th Sprinter’s Jersey, as he is sitting with a comfortable 85-point lead over Elia Viviani. These two have been battling the entire competition, with Sagan’s eye constantly on the Green, rather than Yellow, Jersey. The Tour de France will conclude on Sunday, July 28th, with a processional Stage 21 to welcome the newest Champion to Paris on the Champs-Élysées. Featured Articles PGA Tour Championship Starts Today! Sarah Karlsson | 2019-08-22The PGA Tour Championship starts today with some major changes to the format. With $15 million to the winner, we take a look at the action.Tiger Woods Out of Northern Trust Sarah Karlsson | 2019-08-09Tiger Woods is out of the Northern Trust after one round. Let's look at what this means for him, as well as the rest of the FedEx Cup field.Egan Bernal: Tour de France Winner Sarah Karlsson | 2019-08-02Colombian Egan Bernal is the first Latin American Tour de France winner. It's is his first major win, but it certainly won't be his last.Stage 19: Chaos at the Tour de France Sarah Karlsson | 2019-07-27Stage 19 finished quicker than expected, thanks to Mother Nature. We enter the final stage of importance with a rider in the Yellow Jersey . GET $270 IN FREE BETS & BONUSES! Claim Now New Customers Only | 18+ | T&Cs Apply Recommended Bookmakers GambleAware.co.uk 1. Sign up via the claim button below. 2. Deposit €10 or more into your 1xbet account. 3. 1XBet will credit you with your bonus into your sportsbook account. 4. 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