Just finishing the Tour de France a victory for former winner Egan Bernal

Tour de France: Former winner Egan Bernal
Tour de France: Former winner Egan Bernal (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)

Minutes after the 2023 Tour de France had completed its final high mountain stage at Markstein, on Saturday Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) gave an emotionally charged explanation as to why he had enjoyed its last kilometres so much.

"I was very pleased to be able to do that," Bernal told reporters. "Cycling fans are the best in the world, seeing the young kids on the side of the road who already know who we are, shouting out our names - that gives me a good feeling. That's why I love this sport and that's why I'm so happy to be here."

Alasdair Fotheringham

Alasdair Fotheringham has been reporting on cycling since 1991. He has covered every Tour de France since 1992 bar one, as well as numerous other bike races of all shapes and sizes, ranging from the Olympic Games in 2008 to the now sadly defunct Subida a Urkiola hill climb in Spain. As well as working for Cyclingnews, he has also written for The IndependentThe GuardianProCycling, The Express and Reuters.