"Egan Bernal makes a comeback during stage 15 of the Vuelta a España, following the dissolution of his overall race hopes"

Egan Bernal Bounces Back in Vuelta a España Breakaway

Egan Bernal, the 2019 Tour de France winner, made a comeback in the Vuelta a España on Stage 15, participating in a breakaway that included his teammate Magnus Sheffield. However, despite multiple attempts to go clear in the closing kilometers, Bernal was unable to do so.

The nine-rider leader group, which also included Mads Pedersen, managed to catch the day's two leaders, Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Louis Vervaeke (Soudal-QuickStep). The stage, which had a total vertical elevation gain of over 3,500 meters, was 152 kilometers long.

The break took nearly 14 minutes on the main peloton, providing an advantage that allowed Bernal to focus on his role in the group. His strategy was to go from distance, allowing Sheffield to try for the sprint. Bernal's efforts in the break have moved him back up to 14th overall, 15:42 down on race leader Jonas Vingegaard.

Bernal sees stage 15 as a different kind of race compared to the usual overall battle he fights in Grand Tours. This participation in the break was a bounceback after losing nearly 22 minutes on the previous day's Farrapona summit finish.

The other members of the group included Mads Pedersen, Jay Vine, Maximilian Schachmann, Nico Denz, Giulio Ciccone, Junior Lecerf, Stefan Küng, and Santiago Buitrago. The exact composition of the attacking group varied during the stage as some riders broke away from the main group.

For the rest of the Vuelta a España, Bernal's main target will likely be success in breakaways. Subscription to Cyclingnews provides unlimited access to 2025 Vuelta a España coverage. Bernal's team, Ineos Grenadiers, will no doubt be hoping for more strong performances from their star rider.

"Egan Bernal makes a comeback during stage 15 of the Vuelta a España, following the dissolution of his overall race hopes"