Egan Bernal (Ineos) and Nairo Quintana (Arkea-Samsic) have real options win Tyrrhenian Adriatic, Competition that starts this Wednesday with a stretch of 156 kilometers, on flat ground, and will end next Tuesday with a time of 10 km, and will feature the participation of four more Colombian cyclists.
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No doubt the route suits them and the conditions they have shown in the previous competitions put them as two pedalists that they will be protagonists and that they have a lot to say in the race.
Both have had experience in it. Nairo he has run three times and on two of them he has been champion, 2016 and 2017 and was second, escorting Alberto Contador, in 2014. Bernal competed under the uniform of the Androni in 2017 and finished in the box 16 to 3 minutes 20 seconds from Quintana.
Of the two what comes in better condition and will be the man to beat is Bernl, who this year has taken part in four races and in three of them has been podium: 2 in the Tour de la Provence and the Laigueglia Trophy and third, last Saturday, in the White roads. And it is in this last race where he was full, in good shape, better than his rivals. He had the stamina and strength to stay ahead, so Tirrena Adriatic will be in the final victory fight.
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The Inos rider has regained confidence, following a back injury that prevented him from successfully defending the Tour de France title and which he regained more recovery, after intense physiotherapy work. Among the most important cyclists in the squad is the one that has made the most of this first peak of high performance to fight races and the Tirrè is within its objectives.
The British squad will have a second card: Geraint Thomas..
Nairo carries three competencies: he was ninth on Tour of the Martian Alps and VAR, 19 in Laigueglia and fourth in the GP of Industry & Crafts, so it is seen that he is coming up and in these short races, one week, can give him and fight partial victories and the podium. the boyacense he knows that these World Tour competitions are good opportunities to win, to figure and name his team.
Of course, there are strong rivals. Tirreno is the first face-off of the strongest riders in the squad, except for Primoz Roglic, Which runs in Paris Nice. And the most important thing is that the list includes several opponents that Bernal will have in the Giro d’Italia, such as Simon Yates, who defends the crown, Vincenzo Nibali, Romain Bardet, Thibaut Pinot, Mikel Landa, So the appointment will be important, so there are eight weeks left for the start of the race.
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Tadej Pogacar, Current holder of the Tour de France title, will be the great rival of Egan and Nairo. He has just won the UAE Tour and is also at a peak of performance. It will be an important duel and a good option to see what they are up to this start to the season. A triumph will be a moral blow to their rivals.
The route will have a first uphill finish this Thursday, Saturday and Sunday and will end the race with a short time trial, of only 10 kilometers, in which there will be no big differences. Yes, climbers will have to get to this last day with at least 20 seconds above specialists, but here the issue is that Pogacar he goes up and goes well on the clock, so Bernal and Nairo will have to do the work of distancing themselves on the climbs.
The other fight in which Colombian cycling will focus will be on the packaging with Fernando Gaviria, who will have rivals such as Davide Ballerini, Elia Viviani, Peter Sagan, Sony Colbrelli and Caleb Ewan, Those who will put it against the wall, although if the UAE Emirates pedalboard arrives in good condition will have no rival. It’s a big unknown, Gaviria hasn’t been strong for a while. Álvaro Hodeg will be another Colombian letter in the mass arrivals.
Sergio Higuita will be another card. He will make his first race of the year, but he is a runner who faces this first part of the season in good condition, as he did in 2020, when he won the national route and was third in Paris Nice. The Colombian batch completes it Daniel Muñoz (Androni).
Lisandro Rengifo
Editor of EL TEMPS
On Twitter: @LisandroAbel