Already on the podium in the Colombian national championship road race and time trial, Tour de France champion Egan Bernal will take his first step toward defending his 2019 Tour de France title at next week's Tour Colombia 2.1, the stage race season He will start in his home country.

The Team Ineos rider was nominated for "Breakthrough of the Year" at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards on February 17. The 23-year-old follows in the footsteps of teammate Geraint Thomas, who was nominated the previous year.

In an interview with the Spanish newspaper AS (opens in new tab) before the Tour Colombia 2.1, Bernal spoke enthusiastically about his nomination, citing the importance of success in his home country.

"It's very important because this award is prestigious worldwide," Bernal told AS. 'I am very proud to represent my team, my country, and up-and-coming athletes. I'm very proud to represent my team, my country, and up-and-coming athletes.

"Colombia has many social problems and my victory at the Tour gave them a break and inspired many people. Sport unites us and gives many of our countrymen a chance. It inspires us to work hard for Colombia."

Bernal finished fourth in last season's Tour Colombia 2.1 and won the previous year. This time, however, his participation comes after a very different preseason than the previous one.

His preparation for 2019 was hampered by his recovery from a crash at Clasica San Sebastián that left him with serious facial injuries. He had planned to return to racing before the end of the 2018 season, but a doctor's appointment postponed his return for the winter.

"I'm much calmer," Bernal said of this winter. He said, "Last year I suffered at the end of the season because of a fall, lost a couple of teeth and spent a lot of time at the doctor's.

"My preparation is going much better and I am focused on the Tour de France. The Tour de France is my first and only real goal. Every other race I will target the Tour de France.

Last season, Bernal won Paris-Nice and the Tour de Suisse with substandard preparation, becoming the first Colombian in history to win the Tour de France. Rivals will be even more worried about Bernal, who is now at full strength for 2020.

But there will be more competition this time, at least within his team. Chris Froome, who missed the Tour last year due to a brutal crash at the Criterium du Dauphiné, will be back.

"The last two years it has always been two leaders, this time it will be three. But always the stronger one has won; in 2018 the first choice was Froome and Thomas won, last year it was Thomas and I won," Bernal said.

"The important thing is that the team will support us on the flat stages and the race will put everyone in their place. Personally, I'm not too worried at the moment. I can only focus on myself.

"Froome had a very strong crash. I don't even know if I can ride again, that kind of situation is the worst. I don't think of him as a competitor, but as a human being.

Bernal noted the growing strength of Jumbo Visma heading into the "more explosive" Tour, with Primos Roglic, Tom Dumoulin, and Steven Kruijswijk. They are slated to be Ineos' main rivals, Bernal acknowledged, but the British team has also been bolstered by the signings of Rohan Dennis and Richard Kalapas for 2020.

"Richard, Rohan ...... The team will be very strong. But Jumbo Visma also has a good roster. Ineos deserves credit not only for the quality of their riders, but also for their staff and the way they do things. They are brilliant in managing each rider's season."

Next season is, of course, also an Olympic year. Bernal has already said he will "give my best in Tokyo," but reiterated that his only goal for 2020 is the Tour de France.

Then there is the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España, the latter of which exists outside the possibilities for 2020 after the former was excluded due to the Tour being given priority.

"Out of respect for the Tour, and as a winner, it was very difficult to think about not going," Bernal said. "At one point I was going to go to the Giro. That was my only doubt. But this is an Olympic year, so it was difficult to put the two races together. I had to focus on the Tour out of respect."

"The Vuelta is a race I've wanted to be in since I signed with Ineos, I had it planned for 2018 and the team wasn't looking clearly, but I pushed hard to go, but I crashed in San Sebastian and was disappointed. Last year, before the Tour started, we had planned to go to Spain, but as it turned out, we had to pull out because of the wear and tear. Now I don't know. I don't know what will happen. It's always in my plan [the most logical goal is the Tour. The Olympics are a week after that. It's not the best timing and I'm not very good at one-day races. I'm not going to penalize the Tour for a non-specialist race, even if the route suits me."