Egan Bernal said that he has a good relationship with Chris Froome, co-leader of Team Ineos, and that the various statements he has made to the media regarding the Tour de France leadership issue have not affected their friendship or caused tension within the team He added.

In a wide-ranging interview with the Colombian newspaper El Tiempo (opens in new tab), Bernal discussed the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on racing, the team's Tour leader, and the possibility of competing in the world championship road race a week after Paris.

As one of only three Ineos to win the Tour de France, the toughest competition for the 23-year-old may be his teammates, four-time winner Froome and 2018 champion Geraint Thomas.

Bernal has said in the past that "the road will decide," and in May he said he would "never throw away the opportunity to win another Tour de France" by sacrificing himself for his co-leaders. Bernal said he spoke with both Froome and Thomas at the time and that his comments did not upset his teammates.

"He wasn't upset," Bernal said of Froome. 'What happened was we talked then. When Froome's statement came out, people took it as if he was upset with me, but he wasn't. He was not angry at my statement."

"We are friends and we all want to move forward and win. The most important thing here is for the team to win, we are ineos and it is ineos who need to win."

"Chris, Guerin and I are very honest with each other. Chris, Guerlain and I are very honest with each other. We can't say, 'I'm the leader. If I have to work for Flume, I will.'

Bernal added that the Ineos management will decide who will lead during the Tour.

"The team is going to decide on one, but it is too early to say. He hasn't even raced yet. We have to wait until the first stage of the Tour. Besides, it's a big question what everyone will be like when they get to the Tour."

Bernal, like the rest of the peloton, has not raced since early 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced a break in the calendar after mid-March.

In addition to the lack of racing, Bernal said the unusual door-closing and training environment for riders will bring some surprises when racing starts again in late July and early August.

"There will be surprises. Some of them have trained at high altitude, some of them haven't.

"Because of the conditions, there will be many contenders for the title, and I think the level of competition in this Tour will be much higher than in the past. It will be a different event, not only in sport, but also in life.

Tour champion Bernal must be back to his best in September. He is training seven hours a day before returning to competition to take on the Tour de Ain and the Criterium du Dauphiné.

And while COVID-19 has severely disrupted his season so far, Bernal is keeping things in perspective.

"I can't complain. I feel lucky. I have the support of my team, a lot of people, the group I work with. There are more important sectors that have been affected, such as the medical profession, and those who have lost their jobs are having a hard time.

"Our athletes who are unable to compete for a while are also affected, but there are others who are more affected."

He is also confident that the "new" season will go ahead as planned. Blockades across Europe are being eased on a daily and weekly basis, closed-door sporting events are already underway, and restrictions on public life are being eased. The threat of a second wave of COVID-19 remains, but Bernal says the race is a certainty.

"The race will be held. The race will be held. There is a calendar, the race will happen, and the organizers of the three Grand Tours are looking at how to implement it. They have to know how it will be held because it is a competition that attracts spectators."

One of the races Bernal may participate in is the World Championships in Aigle Martigny, Switzerland, near the UCI headquarters.

This road race is a climber's race, but given its place on the calendar, a week after the Tour and six days before the start of the Giro d'Italia, it is unknown which Grand Tour riders will target this race.

"I have to be in the Tour first. That's my first goal," Bernal said. After that, I will analyze the conditions for the World Championships. Ideally, I would like to fight for the title, but in Paris I want to see what is left and what I can do for my other goal."

"It's good to be racing. I've never been to a road world championship, it's a good opportunity and a good option. It doesn't make sense to just go. If there is a chance to win, I want to fight."