'I'd like to be in the Volta a Catalunya' - Egan Bernal aims for rapid re-start from broken collarbone setback

Former Tour de France winner Egan Bernal has told Colombian media that he is aiming to make his comeback from a broken collarbone injury in the upcoming Volta a Catalunya, while he also hopes the Giro d'Italia will form part of his 2025 schedule.

Bernal got off to a flying start to the year with back-to-back victories in the Colombian National Time Trial and Road Races, his first wins in 1,346 days after a terrible crash at the start of the 2022 season, only to fall heavily in his 2025 European debut at the Clásica Jaén and break his collarbone.

Cyclingnews reached out to Ineos Grenadiers to ask for confirmation that Bernal will be taking part in Catalunya, but the squad simply answered that teams have yet to be finalized for their upcoming races. 

However, as Bernal told ESPN, he has made a very fast recovery from his collarbone crash, and his next step will, he hopes, be to take part in the Volta a Catalunya.

"When I had to stop riding because of the crash, I was very lucky because basically, I lost three days training, but that was it," he recounted.

"When I fell during the race, I had a teammate with me and I asked him 'How does it look' and he said it looked like a fracture. 

"They confirmed that it was broken at the hospital in Jaén, but by 11 that night I was already having surgery. Then after checking with another doctor if it was ok, he said I could be back on the bike in two days."

Currently training in Sicily, Bernal said he is feeling in good condition, and the numbers are good, although that the real test of truth when it comes to form is always in races themselves.

"So I hope to compete in Catalunya, and do the best possible there," he added. "But I'm always also thinking about my buildup for the Giro because normally I'll be taking part in it. So I want to get to the Giro in a good place, and for that, I have to be good in Catalunya, too."

Bernal has a lengthy and somewhat chequered history with the Volta a Catalunya, one of his first-ever WorldTour stage races when he began riding for Ineos in 2018 and where he clinched his first WorldTour podium finish last March since his 2022 crash. Bernal also has had a third place overall in 2019, his best season to date, and was en route to second overall in 2018 when he fell on the last stage, breaking both his shoulder - and his collarbone.

The Colombian has already reached one major landmark this season, winning again for the first time in 1,346 days. As he told ESPN, getting his first victory again could not have happened in a better location than Colombia, particularly as he had felt it was a very difficult goal for him. "I thought it was a long way off," he said.

"For now, my goal is to be back at my best level and have no excuses - excuses for myself I mean. If I'm fifth, or tenth, or whatever, I want to know what I can get."

"When I retire or when 10 or 15 years go by, I don't want to be in any doubt about what I could have achieved."

The mountainous seven-day race features three summit finishes, at La Molina in the Pyrenees on stage 3, Montserrat on stage 4 and Queralt on stage 6, before the traditional showdown in Montjuic Park, Barcelona on Sunday, March 30.

Other top participants alongside Bernal - assuming he finally races. are expected to be Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) also heading to the Giro d'Italia and Tirreno-Adriatico winner Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) . If he has recovered from his Paris-Nice hand injury in time, Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) will also be present, but as yet his participation, like Bernal's has to be confirmed by the team.