Team Ineos have announced their Tour de France team, with both Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas surprisingly dropped from the final eight-rider line-up.
Froome was instead named as team leader for the Vuelta a España, and Thomas for the Giro d'Italia.
In another surprise move, 2019 Giro d'Italia winner Richard Carapaz has been called up to the Tour de France squad to back Bernal, who has been given team leadership by team manager Dave Brailsford. Carapaz crashed at the recent Tour de Pologne but recent tests and check-ups showed he is on form.
"Egan will once again target the yellow jersey in France and we are very excited to give last year's Giro winner, Richard Carapaz, his debut in this year's Tour also," Brailsford said, announcing the selection decision on Wednesday morning.
"Geraint will target the Giro and take on the opportunity to double up his Tour de France win with another Grand Tour title, with the aim of being the first Welshman to win it.
"In turn, Chris Froome will target the Vuelta. Chris is a legend of our sport, a true champion who has demonstrated incredible grit and determination to come back from his crash last year. We want to support him to compete for another Grand Tour title and the Vuelta gives him that little bit more time to continue his progress to the top level.
"I am very proud that we have several current, and I am sure future, Grand Tour champions in the team. Selecting the right leader in the right race with the right support team is critical and has meant we have had to analyse all the latest information to make sure we are in the best position possible to optimise our performances in the coming months."
Team Ineos will be known as the Ineos Grenadiers for the Tour de France and have a new-look kit design to promote the new 4x4 SUV vehicle recently launched by Ineos Automotive.
They confirmed that their eight riders for the Tour will be:
Andrey Amador
Egan Bernal
Richard Carapaz
Jonathan Castroviejo
Michal Kwiatkowski
Luke Rowe
Pavel Sivakov
Dylan van Baarle
"We have been analysing closely how we can win the Tour de France this year and we have a passionate team united by a common purpose, ready to get the job done," Brailsford said.
Bernal said he liked the balance of the Tour de France squad.
"I'm really excited to have this team around me in this Tour de France," Bernal said from the Alps where he is doing some final training after pulling out of the Criterium du Dauphine to avoid worsening a back problem.
"I think we are a young team with Pavel (Sivakov), Richard (Carapaz) and me. But we will enjoy it. We have a young team but also the experience of other riders like Kwiato (Michal Kwiatkowski, Luke Rowe and Castro (Jonathan Castroviejo|), so I think it's a good balance. I'm really happy to be in the Tour team; I'm just going to go there and try to do my best for them and the whole team."
Bernal suggested Thomas can do well in the Giro d'Italia and that he could possibly support Froome in the Vuelta a Espana after the Tour de France.
"It's a bit strange not to have G (Geraint Thomas) and Froomey (Chris Froome) in the Tour but I'm excited to see what G can do in the Giro," he said.
"I think it's a good Giro for him with the three time trials. I think he gain time there and try to defend in the big mountains.
"In the Vuelta, who knows, maybe I can go there to try and help Froomey. Now I need to be focused on the Tour but after the Tour I have on plans yet, so it could be a good option."
