Savio: Bernal had a wonderful Tour de France

Gianni Savio, the Italian manager of Androni- Giocattoli, has described Egan Bernal's Tour de France performance as 'wonderful' and echoed sentiments that the Colombian is a future Tour winner.

Savio brought Bernal to Europe in 2016, offering the then 19-year-old a two-year deal. The Colombian was an instant hit and won last year's Tour de l'Avenir. He signed a contract with Team Sky for 2018 and 2019 and is set to sign an improved deal later this year. This season he sealed his Tour selection with second place in the Tour de Romandie, and then a winning ride at the Tour of California in May.

Bernal was originally scheduled to make his Grand Tour debut at the Vuelta a Espana but such was his impressive transition to WorldTour racing that Team Sky decided to give him a shot at the Tour. The 21-year-old didn't disappoint and was often the British team's last remaining domestique in the mountains. On Alpe d'Huez he held off attacks from several riders, including Nairo Quintana, Mikel Landa, and Romain Bardet, before helping to set up Geraint Thomas for the win. Bernal eventually finished 15th overall in Paris and second in the white jersey competition.

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Savio was at the Tour for the Alpe d'Huez performance.

"At the Tour, Egan Bernal was wonderful. Wonderful. If you remember I presented Egan Bernal when I signed him and turned him professional. He was only 19 years old, and after the first race, I said he would become a big rider. We can confirm that now. He will win a big tour, like the Tour de France, the Giro d'Italia or maybe the Vuelta a Espana," Savio told Cyclingnews from his home in northern Italy.

"He's 21 years old. He had a wonderful Tour de France, working and working for Geraint Thomas and Chris Froome. This was a very good experience for him. I came to the Tour for the Alpe d'Huez stage and I met him at the start and it was great to see him be such a big protagonist in the Tour. I think he can win in the next few years but he still needs more experience. At a team like Sky he can progress. He needs time. He turned professional early with my team but we went slowly together and remember it's not just physical progression but also psychological. Now he has a very good equilibrium."

Sosa so good

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