Egan Bernal of Ineos Grenadiers has been selected to compete in the 2023 Criterium du Dauphiné.

The Colombian will be part of a strong British team lineup that includes former Dauphiné winner Dani Martinez.

Bernal's participation in last week's Tour of Norway (where Ineos Grenadiers dominated the course with Ben Turret and Magnus Sheffield, taking first and second place) was a possibility, but team officials said at the time that the race preparations were not fully This was after it was finally scrapped because he was not fully ready for the race, according to team officials at the time. His last competition was the Tour de Hongri in mid-May, where he finished eighth overall despite a high-speed crash involving nearly a dozen people on the first stage that caused his Australian teammate and current national road champion Luke Plapp to retire with concussion.

Inez was the first rider to finish in the top ten.

Ineos Grenadiers' strong lineup also includes 2020 Dauphiné winner Dani Martinez and Spanish national champion Carlos Rodriguez, who was out for a long time with a broken collarbone in Strade Bianche. Historically, Ineos Grenadier has always been an important rider in the Criterium du Dauphiné, winning seven of the last 12 editions. His last victory came in 2021 with Richie Porte, while Geraint Thomas was third.

Also on the Ineos team are Ethan Hayter, a stage winner and one-time leader at the Tour de Romandie; Ben Turner, who crashed and broke his arm at the Tour of Flanders; and Spanish all-rounder Omar Freire and Jonathan Castroviejo.

Bernal's only previous appearance was on stage 4 in 2020, when he retired with a back injury. At that time he was in seventh place overall. The Criterium du Dauphiné will start on Sunday, June 4 with a hilly stage to and from Chambon-sur-Lac, and will finish on the summit of Grenoble on Sunday, June 11.