"At 29 years old, I almost feel old": Egan Bernal analyzes the explosion of young talents before the Giro

The rumors about Egan Bernal's future exploded even before the 2026 Giro d'Italia kicked off. The official presentation of the new Netcompany INEOS Grenadiers jersey for the corsa rosa, held this Wednesday in Bulgaria, left a double sensation around the Colombian: on one hand, he returns to the race he won in 2021 as one of the clear leaders of the team; on the other, the Italian press is practically confirming a renewal until 2028 with the British structure.

Egan Bernal dreams of the Giro again while INEOS prepares his renewal

For now, there is no official confirmation from the team or the rider, but several Italian media outlets suggest that INEOS wants to secure Bernal for two more seasons, at a time when the Colombian seems to have definitively regained his competitive level after the serious accident he suffered in 2022. The operation would also have a strong symbolic component for the British team, as Bernal remains the only rider in its history capable of winning both the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia.

The Colombian also arrives at the Giro after leaving very positive signs in his last races. He was second in the overall standings of the Tour of the Alps, and last year he finished seventh in the Giro, his best result in a grand tour since the accident. Now, he will share leadership in the British formation alongside Thymen Arensman in a lineup that mixes climbers, rouleurs, and very solid support riders for the mountains and the longest stages.

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The Netcompany INEOS Grenadiers lineup for this Giro d'Italia will consist of Egan Bernal, Thymen Arensman, Jonathan Castroviejo, Lucas Hamilton, Kim Heiduk, Brandon Rivera, Ben Swift, and Ben Turner. A block clearly designed to fight for the overall and protect Bernal, especially in the third week, where a large part of the race will be decided.

But beyond the sporting battle, one of the most striking images from the presentation was hearing Bernal reflect on how cycling has changed in just a few years. The Colombian, who is still only 29 years old, spoke almost like a veteran when comparing his generation with the current crop of young talents.

“When I won the Tour de France at 22, I was the youngest rider to achieve it in 100 years, and when I was taken to the Tour for the first time in 2018, I was only 21, and it seemed almost impossible for something like that to happen at such a young age,” Bernal explained.

He then left a phrase that perfectly summarizes how modern cycling has changed: “I’m only 29, but I almost feel old.”

Bernal made his Giro d'Italia debut in 2021, at 24 years old, and his first participation in the Tour came in 2018 when he was just 21. At that time, it was still somewhat exceptional for such a young rider to take on responsibilities in a grand tour. Today, the scenario is completely different.

“Now teams give many more opportunities to young riders to shine. They let them train more, they are more motivated, and the way teams work with them has also changed,” the Colombian added during the team presentation.

The contrast is evident when compared to what is happening right now in the peloton. The clearest example may be Paul Seixas, who will debut in the 2026 Tour de France at just 19 years old after a meteoric rise in just a few months.

We will see how cycling and age limits change if this trend continues and the number of younger cyclists reaching grand tours earlier, taking on immediate leadership, and developing much faster within structures completely adapted to early performance increases.