Egan Bernal (Team Ineos) arrived in Madrid on Monday after traveling on a chartered flight from Colombia and spoke to the press outside the Adolfo Suarez Madrid Barajas airport.The 23-year-old Bernal will be in the Tour de France, which runs from August 29 to September 20. He hopes to defend his title, but says he needs to first consider where his form lies at the team's training camp in Andorra and then once the race officially begins.

"I'm training for that, but it's a completely different year," he said. 'At the moment I just want to go to Andorra and see where my level is. And I enjoy the races that take place before the Tour. There I will check my level and the level of my colleagues. I think that's where I will start," Bernal said, as reported by the Spanish news media AS.

"The best thing is to go step by step, not to anticipate too much what will happen, but to be here now. Right now, it's about going to camp and checking my level. I haven't been in a game for a long time. The season is different, but we have to keep our feet on the ground. We are going through a very difficult time.

The cycling season was suspended in March due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, but World Tour racing is scheduled to resume on August 1 at Strade Bianche. The UCI has released a revised calendar that includes all three Grand Tours, as well as major one-day races and lower category races for the racing season through November.

Due to the coronavirus outbreak, international flights to and from Colombia were suspended until August 31, but special permission was granted for a charter flight back to Europe on July 19. Bernal was one of 100 Colombian athletes on the flight, along with Ineos teammates Iván Sosa, Sebastián Henao, and Brandon Rivera. Also on board were Nairo Quintana (Arkea Samsic), Rigoberto Uran (EF Pro Cycling), Esteban Chavez (Mitchelton Scott), Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana), and Fernando Gaviria (UAE Team Emirates).

"I don't think anyone expected the pandemic to come along and affect not only cyclists but the world in general. There are quite a few areas that were affected. No one expected the same thing, but we have to face it with maturity and work things out so that we can move forward together," Bernal said.

Bernal will now head to Andorra for a training camp with his teammates before returning to racing at Route Occitanie.

Bernal will focus on the Tour de France, but Team Ineos could start three leaders with 2018 winner Geraint Thomas and four-time winner Chris Froome, who will move to the Israeli startup nation in 2021. For now, Bernal said he is not thinking too far ahead and just wants to enjoy the race.

"We have to try to make the best of this moment. It's been a long time since I've been in camp and I haven't had any contact with other cyclists. We have all the security measures in place and I want to enjoy this camp," Bernal said.

Bernal was also cautious about the changed calendar, noting that coronavirus remains a health concern. Some races that were part of the calendar have been canceled, while others have taken precautions to protect the health of athletes, staff, and the public.

"We don't know if there will be a before and after. I know the teams, the International Cycling Union, and everyone is working hard to make sure it happens in the best possible way." But we don't know how long it will last or whether there will be a vaccine or not. It depends on a lot of things, and I'm not in a position to say that."