Egan Bernal (Team Ineos) reiterated his intention to debut in the Giro d'Italia in 2021, but admitted that his plans may change depending on if the Grand Tour is held this season.

The Colombian had planned to compete in the Giro in 2019, but had to reschedule after breaking his collarbone in a training crash just before the race. He then competed and won the Tour de France.

Bernal's 2020 campaign was planned around defending that Tour title, but it is currently unknown when the next race will take place. The coronavirus outbreak will suspend all racing until at least June 1, but several June races have already been canceled, including the Tour de Suisse, which Bernal won in 2019.

"Riding the Giro is one of the things I've wanted to do since my first season as a professional," Bernal told Italy's Sky Sport 24 (opens in new tab). 'I live in Italy, I have a lot of friends there, I know the roads. The idea this year was to do the Tour and end-of-season classics like Il Lombardia and then go for the Giro in 2021, but now I need to understand how this season will end."

Bernal has only raced in Colombia so far in 2020, finishing third in the national time trial championships, second in the road race, and fourth overall in the Tour Colombia. He was scheduled to make his first WorldTour appearance of the season in Paris-Nice, but his Ineos team withdrew him from the race following the death of Nicolas Portal.

Since then, the 23-year-old has returned to his native Colombia, where he has refrained for a time since his arrival; in February, his training partner, Oscar Sevilla, praised how well prepared Bernal was for the new season, despite the burden of being the first Colombian Tour winner "He won the Tour de France," Sevilla said. Sevilla told Cyclingnews, "He's probably one of the few riders to win the Tour de France and already be at his ideal weight the following December."

Bernal, who had his season plan set on the Tour, is currently training without a set date for the next Tour de France.

"Realistically, I try not to think about it," he said. 'The situation is very tough, so I can't speculate about the dates,' he said. I hope I can run for myself, for the team, for cycling in general, and of course for all the fans."

Bernal is also auctioning off his bicycle along with his Tour de France jersey to provide food and other supplies to children in Colombia during the coronavirus outbreak. The auction is being held to raise funds for the children's charity Fundación Exito.