Ineos Grenadiers start their first stage races of the 2022 season on Wednesday at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana and the Etoile de Bessèges in France, with team sources at the Spanish race telling Cyclingnews that team leader Egan Bernal will be very much uppermost in their thoughts as he undergoes further surgery after his terrible training crash in Colombia.
"We have a very motivated team here, it's the start of the season and everyone wants to go all in to get the best result possible," directeur sportif Servais Knaven told Cyclingnews before the stage 1 start in Alqueries.
"It's also a little bit of the unknown, it's hard to know how the other guys [rivals] are going although our guys have trained well and are ready. But the first race of the season is always special."
Yet even while the team are racing in Spain, their thoughts are collectively with Bernal.
Knaven says that within the team they are receiving constant updates on Bernal's condition, with some Ineos Grenadiers staff remaining in South America with the Colombian. However, Knaven recognised that the speed of Bernal's recovery remains unclear. Or as he suggests: "It's the great unseen."
"Everyone is behind Egan, rooting for him and hoping for his quick recovery," Knaven added. "But nobody can put a number on it and say how long it's going to take. Let's hope for the best and support him every way we can."
At Valenciana and from here onwards, the Ineos Grenadiers riders will be riding to win for Bernal.
"It's in everybody's head. It could be an extra motivation. But the most important thing is that Egan recovers," Knaven said.
Bernal was due to lead Ineos Grenadiers at the Tour de France but the team have still to fully consider any changes in their leadership strategy. Geraint Thomas is due to target the Tour de France while Richard Carapaz, Tao Geogheghan Hart and Tom Pidcock ride the Giro d'Italia.
"That's still in the planning stage. We have to see and put everything together and see if we have to make any changes or not in the line-ups for the Grand Tours," Knaven said.
"We don't make those decisions overnight. It also depends a little bit on the young riders, and if they step up in the team, could they make the line-up for the Grand Tours? So probably it's a bit too early to make big changes."
The chief priority, Knaven agrees with Cyclingnews, is that Bernal gets better.
"That's the most important thing. Of course we are thinking about what would happen if Egan is not in the Tour. But as yet, there are no decisions."
When it comes to the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, Ineos Grenadiers have a trio of possible GC contenders with Geogheghan Hart, third overall in the Valenciana in 2020, Pavel Sivakov and young Spanish talent Carlos Rodriguez.
On top of that, Elia Viviani, now back with Ineos Grenadiers will be on the hunt for sprints.
"The three guys are climbing really well and had a good winter so let's see who has the legs and can compete with the best," Knaven said, aware the race starts with a hilly finish and a dirt road.
"Today we'll see a little bit and then Friday is the hardest day and where the GC will be decided," he said.
"Then we'll know where we are with Remco Evenepoel and Alejandro Valverde is also riding well. Then there are some others. But these early stage races are hard to predict. Some young riders could have taken some steps up during the winter."
