“This accident should have killed me instantly”, Egan Bernal's return to grace

The Colombian Egan Bernal passedé very close to death two years ago and is back on top.

The Colombian, seriously injured a few years ago, finally returns to the top of cycling unlike other runners who were never able to return to such a level as a certain Christopher Froome for example. It was January 24, 2022, the Colombian crossed the town of Gachancipa, and collided with a bus. close to 60km/h. It is quickly evacuated. by emergency services in critical condition and must undergo emergency surgery. "This accident shouldû kill me instantly. I am alive and I feel like life and God have given me something. a second chance" explains the Colombian for Eurosport before the start of the Tour de France.

In total, the accident caused him to lose his life. eight broken ribs, a luxo-fracture of the vertebral column, fractures of the femur and patella, a bilateral hemopneumothorax, and facial trauma. A very heavy toll that Gustavo Uriza, the doctor at the Sabana clinic, remembers: "When I saw the fracture, I understood immediately. I called the head of the emergency department to find out if he could move his legs. He replied: “We haven’t looked, but I think with this fracture he should look.” ;be paraplegic'"

"I had pain everywhere but I didn't really know what it was. éwas, he explained. At the&# 39;hospital I entered shouting 'Put me to sleep' and they put me to sleep" explainedé the winner of the Tour de France 2022 who then won stay for almost two weeks hospital, undergoing several operations.

After weeks à the hospital, its priority was to get back on a bike at the highest level. He will achieve this quickly, competing in the Tour de France in 2023, finishing à 36th position before competing in the Vuelta a few weeks later. In 2024, if it has not yet risen, arms, he chained his arms places of honor including a 2nd place on a stage of the Tour of Catalonia and a 3rd in the final general classification. For this 2024 Tour de France, he steps forward as one of the leaders of the Ineos team with Geraint Thomas, Carlos Rodriguez.