With the Tour de France and all the remaining dates on the 2020 calendar now changed, and with Team Ineos' longstanding leadership dilemma once again in the spotlight, Egan Bernal on Thursday issued a "warning" to teammates Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas in Colombia's media.

Bernal spoke with Alberto Contador at Eurosport España (open in new tab) and uttered the customary partisan line that "the road will decide," but at the same time spoke strongly about his own status and that he is not prepared to sacrifice himself simply to win one more yellow jersey and "to He strongly stated that he was not prepared to "throw away our chances.

Bernal won last year, becoming the youngest Tour winner in over 100 years. The two will both be aiming for the Tour again this year, but for four-time winner Chris Froome, the postponement to late August also works in his favor in terms of a comeback from the injuries that kept him out of the Tour last year.

"I understand the team in this situation. For them, it might be interesting to win their fifth Tour de France with Chris, or to win another Tour with Geraint Thomas. After all, they are two British riders and a British team, and that is what matters to them.

"I also understand the position of Geraint Thomas, who is looking for his second Tour victory. In the last two Tours he was first and second. I also understand Chris Froome, who is looking for his fifth Tour win. Given what has happened to him, a fifth Tour win would be the best way for him to come back.

"But I also have my own position. I'm still young, I've already won one Tour de France, and I'm not going to throw away my chance to win another Tour de France. I will sacrifice myself and give 100%. ...... I don't think I, he, or anyone else would do that."

Bernal also confirmed that he would concentrate on the Tour de France and dismissed the idea of competing in the Vuelta a España in late October or November.

Bernal is adamant about his position and recognizes that Froome and Thomas are no different.

The 22-year-old Bernal insisted that, first of all, it would depend on the condition of each player when he or she steps on the starting line in Nice on August 29.

"I think what will happen is that we will wait and see how each racer arrives at the Tour. I don't know what will happen because I haven't raced yet. For me, what the team is doing is very good. We wait to see how each racer arrives, and then, as cliché as it may sound, Lord puts everyone in their places."

"As soon as the first stage is over, you know where Froome is, where I am, where Thomas is. At this moment, even though I'm the last champion of the Tour, I can't go to the team and say I'm the only leader.

"At this point, it's about keeping my cool, focusing on training, making things work as well as possible, and going into the Tour.