Bernal has one big goal left in cycling: "It will be difficult, but I believe in it"

"It wasn’t bad," the Colombian began, discussing the past year. "I have my past, and I don’t want that to always sound like an excuse, but it wasn’t what I had expected. I started this year with different expectations," Bernal reflected. In 2022, the Colombian suffered a serious crash in his home country, followed by a long and challenging recovery.

"I wanted to win races again," the former Tour winner continued. "But between one thing and another, it became difficult. I achieved some impressive podiums, standing alongside Jonas Vingegaard (in O Gran Camiño, ed.) and Tadej Pogacar (in the Volta a Catalunya, ed.). In the Tour of Switzerland, I also missed the podium on the last day. But I’m just missing that stage or overall victory that I really wanted," the 27-year-old INEOS rider said, addressing the fact that he missed out on what would have been his 20th career win — and his first since the horrific crash.

Still, Bernal remains optimistic, feeling more and more like his old self. "I got my first podium after my accident, and I remember that well. I stood on the podium with Jonas, and that was a cool feeling." As for his power output, things are looking good, though he acknowledges it’s all relative. "I’m putting out better numbers than before, but the others are at a much higher level. You have to know how to interpret what a rider says," Bernal added cryptically.

After winning the Tour de France (2019) and the Giro d'Italia (2021), the Bogotá-born climber still dreams of winning the Vuelta a España, which would allow him to complete the trilogy of grand tour victories. Fulfilling that dream, however, will be a tough challenge. "It was hard to win the Tour and the Giro when I was in a good position, so winning the Vuelta will be difficult. But I believe in it. I always think about winning the Vuelta because it’s truly my dream."

"2024 isn’t over yet," Bernal noted, yet he’s already looking ahead to his goals for 2025. One race stands out above the rest. "I really want to win the national championship. I’ve missed out on it in recent years. It’s a race I definitely want to win so I can wear the champion’s jersey for a whole year. That’s something I want to achieve before I retire," he said with optimism.