'We are made to win' - Nairo Quintana understands Egan Bernal's struggle after Tour de France setback
Nairo Quintana believes Egan Bernal still has plenty to offer professional cycling, but understands why his fellow Colombian has found it difficult to accept results below the level he once achieved. The recently retired Grand Tour winner has spoken about Bernal's struggles following his career-threatening crash and the uncertainty surrounding his future at Netcompany-Ineos.
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Speaking to Infobae Colombia, Quintana was asked whether he had discussed retirement with Bernal, who recently acknowledged that he had been reflecting on his future in professional cycling.
"No, no, we haven't discussed anything," Quintana said.
The former Movistar rider acknowledged that Bernal had been struggling to rediscover his previous level, but explained that their conversations had focused on the challenges of remaining competitive after such a serious setback.
"Just being able to ride a bike and compete is already a huge achievement, but clearly we are made to win, and we like winning," Quintana said.
It is a feeling Quintana knows well. The Colombian won the 2014 Giro d'Italia and 2016 Vuelta a España, alongside three podium finishes at the Tour de France, but struggled to reproduce those results in the final years of his career before retiring earlier this month.
Bernal, meanwhile, has faced a different challenge since his life-threatening training crash in January 2022, when he collided with a bus in Colombia.
The 2019 Tour de France and 2021 Giro d'Italia winner has worked his way back to the highest level of professional cycling, but has yet to return to the level that made him one of the sport's leading Grand Tour contenders.
There have been encouraging results along the way, including a stage victory at the 2025 Vuelta a España and seventh overall at that year's Giro d'Italia.
His 2026 season also brought second place at the Tour of the Alps, fifth at Liège-Bastogne-Liège and tenth overall at the Giro d'Italia. However, a 20th-place finish at the Tour de France was followed by an early end to his campaign.
The Colombian subsequently raised questions about his future in an Instagram post on October 8, admitting that he was unsure how much longer he would continue racing.
"I don't know exactly what the next few years will hold for me, and I don't think I need to know everything at this moment either," he wrote.
Bernal said he intended to return in 2027, at least for now, but stopped short of making a firm commitment beyond that. His contract with Netcompany-Ineos runs until the end of 2029.
Quintana confident Bernal can overcome difficult period
Despite the uncertainty surrounding Bernal's future, Quintana remains optimistic about his compatriot's ability to continue competing.
"It's difficult when you go through periods like that," Quintana said.
He nevertheless believes Bernal has the qualities needed to overcome his current difficulties.
"I'm sure that with his hard work and the quality he has, he'll come through it, just as he has done many times before."
"I think we'll have Egan around for quite a while longer," he added.
The British team's performance staff have also offered reassurance about Bernal's immediate future.
Speaking to Italian website bici.pro earlier this month, Dario Cioni, who works across the team's performance and academy programmes, explained why Bernal had decided to end his season early.
"Bernal is a winner. He's not happy finishing tenth, and rightly so," Cioni said.
"After riding the Giro and the Tour, he didn't feel he could still be competitive, so he preferred to end his season early. But he'll be back as normal for 2027."
