Is Egan Bernal on his way to Tour-winning form?
The Colombian has shown signs of his pre-crash fitness at LBL, after an astonishing recovery
Photo by:
Sirotti
Don’t call it a comeback. Call it a miracle. After Egan Bernal’s terrible crash in 2022, the initial prognosis was grim, with a 95 per cent chance of fatality or paralysis. Now, two years later, he’s mixing it up at the WorldTour, and showing signs of the form that saw him win the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia. He had a solid 21st at Liege Bastogne Liege, and is now riding the Tour of Romandie with the hopes of making the Ineos-Grenadiers squad for the Tour de France.
The horrific crash
It was during a training session in Gachancipá, Colombia on January 24, 2022, Bernal collided with the rear of a stationary passenger bus, riding at around 50 km/h. He was riding his TT bike and failed to notice the halted bus. Subsequently, his team issued a statement revealing Bernal’s injuries, which included a fractured vertebra, right femur, and right patella, along with chest trauma, a punctured lung, and multiple rib fractures. Bernal was promptly transported to Clinica Universidad de La Sabana in Bogotá for treatment, where doctors diagnosed a total of 20 fractures. After following two successful surgeries, his condition stabilized by January 25, although he remained in intensive care as medical professionals addressed his less severe injuries.
The comeback
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!”
Berna would ultimately make his racing comeback at the Tour of Denmark on Tuesday, after nearly eight months since his harrowing crash in Colombia. “After the crash in January this has been the moment I’ve been waiting for, to race with my teammates again,” Bernal said. “I can’t emphasize enough how hard the last eight months have been for me, both physically and mentally. That day, and the journey that I have been on since will be a part of me forever, it’s something you never forget.”
At Liège-Bastogne-Liège he rode well. Bernal crossed the finish line in 21st place, earning commendation from his teammate Tom Pidcock, who witnessed firsthand the remarkable recovery of the former Tour de France champion from the near-fatal crash in 2022. “I said to him now, it’s so nice to see him smashing it again,” Pidcock said.
Egan Bernal to the Tour ?
The Colombian cyclist is now racing in Switzerland, with hopes of achieving a solid result. Success in this event could solidify the 27-year-old’s chances of being selected for the Tour de France.
As far as his performance at La Doyenne, he was happy with his ride.
“I think that the crash changed our race a bit. Tom must have waited and changed bikes. We tried our best, but we’ll try again next year. I can’t wait to come back,” Bernal said to TuttoBiciWeb. “I feel good, my training numbers are really good. I’ve been training more. Last season I wasn’t able to do proper training because of my crash and all the recovery stuff. This year I’ve been able to do normal training and I’m feeling really good, so lets see how the season goes.
Back to Tour-winning form?
Bernal said his fitness is progressing well.
“If we look at my numbers, I think I’m even better than before my crash, it’s just that other people are also better. That’s how it is. We have to improve every season to be with the best. I just need to keep doing what i’m doing,” he added. “Now I’ve got Romandie then preparation for the Critérium du Dauphiné and hopefully I can also go to the Tour de France.”
You can watch the Tour of Romandie on FloBikes.com
