Egan Bernal had a 95 per cent chance of lower body paralysis

After Egan Bernal’s terrible collision with the back of a parked bus in Colombia, the 2020 Tour de France champion and current Giro d’Italia titlist finally showed some improvements, gaining consciousness and being able to move his arms and legs after multiple surgeries on Monday night.

The Clinica Universidad de La Sabana in Bogotá released a statement from the hospital’s general director Juan Guillermo Ortiz Martínez that doctors had removed the tube in Egan’s throat that helped Egan breath during surgery on his spine and broken right femur. In general Bernal has responded excellently to the treatment of his spine, femur, right patella, ribs and punctured lungs.

On Friday, the Colombian thanked the hospital and his family. He tweeted that “Having had a 95 per cent chance of becoming a paraplegic and nearly losing my life doing what I love to do most. Today I want to thank God, all the specialists for doing the impossible, my family and all of you.”

He added that he is still in the ICU waiting for more surgeries but he is praying to God that everything will be fine.

Después de haber tenido un 95 % de probabilidad de haber quedado parapléjico y casi perder la vida haciendo lo que más me gusta hacer. Hoy quiero agradecer a Dios, a @ClinicaUsabana , a todos sus especialistas por hacer lo imposible, a mi familia, @mafemotas y a todos ustedes…

— Egan Arley Bernal (@Eganbernal) January 28, 2022