Bernal: I want to make Chris Froome proud at the Tour de France

The plan at the start of 2018 was for Egan Bernal to make his Grand Tour debut at the Vuelta a Espana, but so quickly has he found his feet at WorldTour that Team Sky have fast tracked the Colombian into their Tour de France team.

Bernal moved into the WorldTour echelons to much fanfare at the start of 2018 after a period of development at Androni. Since then he has improved with every race, before putting in a winning ride at the Tour of California in May. His second place at the Tour de Romandie in April was arguably more impressive given the calibre of rider he put to the sword in the Swiss mountains, but nonetheless his Tour de France spot was secured after his US performance.

His inclusion in Chris Froome's Tour de France squad goes against the grain. Typically, Team Sky select proven and durable riders to patrol the front of the peloton for three weeks, not 21-year-olds with limited experience. They opt for diesels, rather than indulge in sporty little numbers, but in Bernal they clearly see not just a rider for the now but also for the future.

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It might be a gamble, introducing a rider with such little WorldTour experience to the Tour rather than the Vuelta or the Giro, but the Colombian was brimming with excitement at the team press conference on Wednesday. While many of his teammates sat bored or answered questions through gritted teeth in relation to Froome's salbutamol case, Bernal appeared happy to be there. There's not much that can dampen the optimism of youth, especially at a rider's first Grand Tour.

"It's great to be here and I can't wait for the start," he told Cyclingnews. "I'm prepared for the new adventure and I hope to be in a good condition. I'm here to help win the Tour and to help Chris in the mountains. I'll be with him as long as I can. I think I can help him, if I feel good.

"I got called up after California. At that race, I was telling the press I would do the Vuelta but after California the team called me and I talked with them and they said that I could go to the Tour if I wanted."

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