Egan Bernal has revealed he has recovered from COVID-19, saying he is "ready to rock".
The Giro d’Italia winner is not expected to be part of the Ineos Grenadiers team for the Tour de France and will not ride the Tokyo Olympics Games. Instead, he hopes to target the Vuelta a España that starts in mid-August, probably after a spell of training at home in Colombia.
Geraint Thomas and Richard Carapaz are set to lead Ineos Grenadiers at the Tour de France.
Bernal announced he was free from COVID-19 via Instagram on Monday, after posing with fellow Colombian Rigoberto Urán and his partner María Fernanda Gutiérrez in Monaco. Urán had just returned to Monaco after finishing second at the Tour de Suisse.
In a second Instagram post, Bernal wrote: "We can reveal we’re COVID-19 free and ready to rock."
Bernal tested positive for COVID-19 in early June, just five days after winning the Giro d’Italia, forcing him to delay a return to Colombia to celebrate his Grand Tour victory. It is unclear how he caught the virus after spending the Giro d’Italia in the protective team bubble.
He discovered he was positive for COVID-19 when doing a PCR test in preparation to travel from Europe to Colombia. His partner Gutiérrez also tested positive and they spent 10 days in isolation in Monaco, with reports they only suffered minor symptoms.
Before returning to racing, Bernal will have to undergo stringent medical tests and a check-up on his heart as part of a special UCI post-COVID-19 medical protocol.
