Coach reveals Bernal's training schedule, Tour chances and mountain time trial tactics

The Colombian is set for a busy return to action as he takes on Route d'Occitanie (August 1-4), the Tour de l'Ain (August 7-9) and the Critérium du Dauphiné (August 12-16) in quick succession.

The events are all preparation for the Tour, which begins on August 29.

"There are so few days between each race, and given Egan is so good at recovering, that's almost like one long stage race for him,” Artetxe, who has been handling Bernal's training since he joined the team, told Cyclingnews.

There is intrigue over Team Ineos’ set-up at the Tour with Bernal, Geraint Thomas and Chris Froome all part of the team.

Artetxe thinks Bernal has a “very high” chance of winning the race if he arrives in top condition.

“It doesn't matter what your palmarès [results] is if you don't reach the Tour at 100 per cent of your form. In Egan's case, the people he works most closely with in the team have urged him to stay calm, do his job – which is to train well and recover well – and not to get drawn into all that debate.

“History tells us that the strongest rider wins the Tour, and if Egan is the strongest he can be, the chances he'll win the Tour this year, I think, are very high.”

One of the key stages of the race this year is the stage 20 individual time trial between Lure and La Planche des Belles, featuring a six-kilometre ascent at the finish.

Artetxe has outlined why the stage will be so decisive.

“You need to have really clear ideas about how you're going to tackle that time trial well before the day itself, so that you're not wondering about which gears to use, and whether you should change your bike the night before.

“Choice of equipment will be very important, and form will – obviously – be very important, but what's going to be really, really important is the choice of pacing for the time trial itself. It doesn't matter if you're the best climber in the world; if you mess up your pacing, you can lose mountains of time on the flat section or, if you've burned yourself out, you can then blow it on La Planche des Belles Filles.

"Time triallists like Froome, Primoz Roglic or Tom Dumoulin could still eat into a pure climber's overall advantage on the Planche. You have to remember that they know, as time triallists, how to pace themselves on climbs.

"But if you get your pacing right you can really make a big difference, by turning it into a day for taking risks, and by pushing yourself to the limit, but without going over that limit.

"What's clear is that nobody will be able to cruise through that stage because that day the differences will be so big – or could be so big – that you could win or lose the Tour.”