Looking beyond his sixth-place finish in Milan-Torino, Egan Bernal (Team Ineos) brushed off the disappointment and explained that he is just happy to be competitive and enjoying racing after a great 2019 season and a win in the Tour de France.

Bernal's life changed forever when he became the first Colombian in history to win the Tour de France in July. Hailed as a national hero upon his return, he did not return to racing until mid-September. While most other Tour de France riders had already finished the season and were mentally and physically cracking, Bernal continued to train hard, hoping to finish the season happily.

His end-of-season race program in Italy was designed to keep him in shape and lay the groundwork for more success in 2020, when he will be looking to repeat his Tour victory.

"I want to end the season on a good note," Bernal said over the finish line in Superga, near Turin.

"I don't want to gain 10 kilos, so I don't want to lose weight by running like crazy in December and January," he recently told La Gazzetta dello Sport. [I was in great shape in Colombia, Paris-Nice, Catalunya, Switzerland, and the Tour. I've pushed the limits this past year and I want to enjoy my last race."

Bernal recorded a long ride on his Colombian home in August, but has only competed in six one-day races since returning home. He lost to Giovanni Visconti (Neri Sottoli) in the testing Giro della Toscana, but did not compete in the world championships in Yorkshire.

He has gained a solid base of form over the long races this season, but he raced aggressively, and the numerous climbs to Superga set up by Michael Woods (EF Education First) and David Gaudoux (Groupama-FDJ) were They lacked the top-end form to respond to the attack. They were able to gradually close the gap, but there was little left when Woods won the race over Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) and Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott).

"I felt really good, but when the pace changed I came up a little short. I suffered a lot because of that and I had to pace myself," Bernal admitted. [but] I enjoyed the race, I was able to finish the season in good conditions, and I'm ready for next season. I am also happy to be able to race in Piedmont. These races are close to where I lived two years ago when I raced for the Androni Giocattoli team."

Bernal is expected to be in contention for victory at Gran Piemonte on Thursday, and the 10km climb to Oropa Sanctuary is well suited to his climbing skills. He does not mind getting some rest before Saturday's Il Lombardia (where he shares the leadership with Gianni Moscon).

"I simply wanted to enjoy these races and not think about anything special. When I was at home in Colombia, I did not concentrate on preparing for Il Lombardia. It's already been a magical season for me, but I've been training to enjoy every last minute of it."