Colombian rider Egan Bernal, who has made a promising start to the season, announced on Wednesday he would be taking part in the Tour de France in a bid to repeat his triumph of 2019.
"I'm done with the first part of the season, now in Colombia for a few days to prepare for a good Tour de France!!!", the Ineos rider wrote on his Instagram account.
The 27-year-old announced himself to the public five years ago when in the space of a couple of months he landed Paris-Nice, the Tour de Suisse and, crowned it with the Tour de France.
Two years later he collected his second major Tour with victory in the Giro d'Italia.
In January 2022, however, he suffered a serious training accident in Colombia that almost cost him his life.
Back in the saddle last year, Bernal had a difficult season, far below his pre-crash form. But he made a good start to 2024, finishing third in the Tour of Catalunya in March behind Slovenian Tadej Pogacar and Spaniard Mikel Landa.
Before returning to Colombia, he finished the Tour de Romandie in 10th place on Sunday.
The Tour de France starts on June 29 and runs till July 21.