Tour of Italy 2021: first victory for Colombian Egan Bernal

Colombian Egan Bernal won the Giro d'Italia cycling race on May 30, 2021. REUTERS - JENNIFER LORENZINI

Text by: Nicolas Bamba Follow

4 min

Egan Bernal won the Giro on Sunday May 30, two years after winning the Tour de France.

The Colombian of the Ineos team, pink jersey since the 9th stage, held firm during a last week when his place of leader was threatened.

He is the second Colombian rider to win the Giro after Nairo Quintana in 2014.

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Four seasons in the elite of the WorldTour, four participations in the Grand Tours and already two victories to his name.

Egan Bernal did not miss the first Tour of Italy of his career: the Colombian leaves this Giro with the pink winner's jersey, which is added to

the yellow jersey of the Tour de France 2019

.

Bernal did not crack

The cador of Ineos knew his coronation almost assured before starting the 30.3 kilometer time trial this Sunday, May 30, between Senago and Milan, for the 21st and last stage of this Tour of Italy. If it did not encounter any failure, the pink jersey was validated. And there was no supposed turnaround on the Lombardy asphalt. Damiano Caruso (Bahrain-Victorious) was only able to glean about thirty seconds to Egan Bernal, not worried.

During the last week, and especially on Saturday, the leader was

further challenged

.

During the 20th and penultimate stage, the Colombian even felt that his yellow jersey " 

was in danger

 ", when Caruso put him in difficulty and made up part of his delay.

It was even " 

the most complicated moment of the Giro

 ", he will say.

But well supported by his teammates and sure of his means, Bernal did not crack.

🇨🇴 @Eganbernal triunfa en el Giro d'Italia 2021!



🇨🇴 @Eganbernal wins the Giro d'Italia 2021!



🇨🇴 @Eganbernal vince il Giro d'Italia 2021! #Giro pic.twitter.com/5KN9do0VX3

- Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) May 30, 2021

Back to the top after a lackluster 2020

Winner of the Tour de France at the age of 22 and a half - the youngest winner for more than 100 years - the native of Bogota adds a new prestigious line to his list with this Tour of Italy. The only Colombian winner of the Grande Boucle, he is the second rider from his country to win on the Giro after Nairo Quintana in 2014.

After a difficult 2020

(retirement from the Tour de France, physical problems), Egan Bernal is back on top. “ 

I can't believe it. I won the Giro, I have no words. (...) The Giro is the most beautiful race in the world,

 â€ťhe declared.

He won the Giro in 86 hours 17 minutes and 28 seconds, ahead of Damiano Caruso at 1'29 and Briton Simon Yates (BikeExchange) at 4'15.

Egan Bernal succeeds Briton Tao Geoghegan Hart's list of winners in two different Grand Tours *.

He misses the Tour of Spain, which he has not yet tackled.

No doubt the challenge must run through his head.

* only seven men have won the three Grands Tours cyclistes

: Jacques Anquetil, Alberto Contador, Chris Froome, Felice Gimondi, Bernard Hinault, Eddy Merckx and Vincenzo Nibali.

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