His hardest race will probably be his comeback to cycling. There was good news yesterday. The former Tour champion has regained consciousness after suffering a serious training accident in his native Colombia and undergoing multiple surgeries. “The patient survived the removal of the ventilator without complications,” said a statement from the La Sabana University Hospital near Bogota. He can move his arms and legs.
“Egan Bernal has already woken up,” wrote the Colombian newspaper “El Tiempo”. In his South American home country, people are not only worried about whether the cycling star will be able to continue his career, but also whether he will ever get well again. Even Colombian President Ivan Duque wished him a speedy recovery. Since Bernal became the first South American to win the Tour of France in 2019, he has been a national hero there.
According to media reports, 25-year-old Bernal crashed into a stationary bus on his time trial bike on Monday. His team Ineos-Grenadiers initially only confirmed the accident and that Bernal was responsive and stable in the hospital. As it turned out later, he had suffered a femoral fracture, an open fracture of the kneecap and injuries to the thoracic spine. Bernal underwent multiple surgeries and was scheduled to stay in intensive care for at least three days.
Yesterday’s Trofeo Calvia in Mallorca was won by the American Brandon McNulty (UAE). Lukas Pöstlberger (Bora) from Schwanenstadt is making his debut in the new season today at the Trofeo Alcudia.
Source: Nachrichten
