Egan Bernal and Richard Carapaz will open their seasons next month
The 2019 Grand Tour winning pair have confirmed their first races of the year
Egan Bernal and Richard Carapaz will be starting their 2020 seasons in South America next month.
The pair, both Grand Tour winners in 2019, will be lining up at the Tour Colombia 2.1 in early February, kicking off their seasons at high altitude and with some tough competition.
Bernal will face a very different challenge this season as he returns to the peloton a Tour de France winner at just 22, emerging victorious after a thrilling edition of the Tour last season.
His 2019 was remarkable by any rider’s standards, never mind one so young, as he won the Tour, the Tour de Suisse, Paris-Nice and Gran Piemonte.
Richard Carapaz will be taking part in his first race in Team Ineos colours, after the 2019 Giro d’Italia winner transferred from Movistar for the new season.
Tour Colombia 2.1 kicks off on February 11 and is expected to include a host of South American talent, as Team Ineos will be taking an entirely local squad to the race.
The British WorldTour team will send Colombians Bernal, Iván Sosa, Sebastián Henao and new signing Brandon Rivera, alongside Ecuadorians Carapaz and Jhonatan Narváez.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Their rivals are likely to include Winner Anacona, who has joined Arkéa-Samsic, Sergio Higuita and Daniel Martínez (both EF Education First).
Tour Colombian has quickly become a popular early-season tester after it was launched in 2018, the inaugural edition won by Bernal.
>>> Rohan Dennis targets Tour Down Under victory in first Ineos race
Last season, an all Colombian top-six feature all the major names from the blossoming cycling nation, including overall winner Miguel Ángel López (Astana), Sosa, Bernal, Nairo Quintana and Rigoberto Urán.
Stage winners last year included Deceuninck – Quick-Step’s Colombian sprinter Álvaro Hodeg, along with his team-mates Bob Jungels and Julian Alaphilippe, while Quintana won the final stage.
The 2020 edition will feature a 16.7km time trial to open the race, followed by five road stages through Boyacá, Cundinamarca and Bogotá.
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers. Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.
-
Wout van Aert back on drop bars as he says he’s 'almost professional again' in Strava post
Visma-Lease a Bike rider broke his collarbone, sternum and several ribs in a high speed crash at Dwars door Vlaanderen
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'Ride like you own the road' - Zoe Bäckstedt on Paris-Roubaix Femmes, her Grand Tour debut and her new Red Bull helmet
Bäckstedt recently landed sponsorship from the energy drink giants and joined the likes of Tom Pidcock, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and Evie Richards as a Red Bull athlete
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'It was time to change': No regrets for Rod Ellingworth after leaving Ineos Grenadiers
New Tour of Britain race director says he is still on good terms with Dave Brailsford after resigning from team last year
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'I’m just here to enjoy it': Tom Pidcock on his surprise Paris-Roubaix appearance
British rider was a late addition to the Ineos Grenadiers team for the race across the pavé
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
The art of peaking with Geraint Thomas: 'It’s easy to take for granted that 9 times out of 10 I hit my goals'
The Welshman also calls for better governance in the sport to help it grow further
By Chris Marshall-Bell Published
-
Ineos Grenadiers’ 500th victory was claimed by a woman; why do they still not have a team?
The British squad is one of the richest in cycling - but Ineos still won’t stump up for a women’s team
By Adam Becket Published
-
'This is so much more than a number': Six of the best Ineos Grenadiers wins as team claims 500th race victory
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot took the 500th team win at the weekend
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Tom Pidcock 'wouldn’t be surprised' to see attacks before the Poggio at Milan-San Remo
British rider will lead the line for Ineos Grenadiers alongside Filippo Ganna
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Ineos Grenadiers delighted with Egan Bernal’s late cameo on stage one of Paris-Nice
Colombian snapped up key bonus seconds in the general classification battle on run in to Les Mureaux
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
‘It doesn’t change anything’ - Tom Pidcock’s coach on Tadej Pogačar at Strade Bianche
Kurt Bogaerts says the pressure is off for Pidcock as he looks to defend the title he emphatically won last year
By Tom Thewlis Published