Egan Bernal may very well ride the 2023 Tour de France
Former winner has made an incredible recovery after horrific crash
Although Ineos Grenadiers has not formally announced its team for the TdF, it seems Egan Bernal may return to a Grand Tour. According to the Gazzetta dello Sport, barring any unforeseen circumstances, The Colombian rider will be included on the squad for the Tour de France. The race starts Saturday, July 1 in Bilbao, Spain.
If he races, it will be Bernal’s first participation in a three-week tour since the 2021 Vuelta a España. He finished sixth overall in the Spanish event.
Bernal’s comeback has been nothing short of miraculous.He had a life-threatening crash when he was training in Colombia on January 24, 2022. He was riding his time trial bike and collided with a bus at a speed of 60 km/h.
The rider then underwent several spinal surgeries at the Clinica Universidad de La Sabana in Bogotá on Thursday. He remained in the ICU for ten days. He slowly began training on an indoor trainer, before finally heading outside. After his first ride on pavement, he posted his gratitude on Instagram. “The happiest day of my life,” the caption read. “After two months and twenty broken bones, here I am, and I want more!”
By the end of March, he took his first ride on the roads. After more training, he jumped into his first race in August, the Tour of Denmark. He said the eight months of rehabilitation had been difficult but was grateful to be back.
Bernal recently finished the Critérium du Dauphiné in 12th overall, a sure sign that he is on his way back to the form that nabbed him both the Tour de France in 2019, and the Giro d’Italia in 2019.
