Combining high-resolution electron spectroscopy with electron-ion coincidence data, we have been able to show the role of bending excitation in the dissociation of CO2 after C 1s⃗Πu resonant excitation. We demonstrate that the predissociation of the dominating A state created through participator decay is not constant along the resonance profile. The interpretation is based on a preferential excitation of high levels of the bending mode at low-photon-energy side of the resonance, which favors the O++CO decay channel.