Egan Bernal: I nearly lost my life doing what I love

Egan Bernal has made his first public statement since his horrific training crash near Bogota on Monday. In a post on social media on Friday in which he thanked medical staff at the Clínica Universidad de La Sabana, Bernal said he had risked losing his life or being left paralysed by the injuries he sustained in the crash.

Bernal remains in the intensive care unit after undergoing successful surgery on his femur, knee and spine. He is set to undergo will two additional, minor surgeries on Saturday to treat a fractured metacarpal in his right hand and to manage dentoalveolar fractures in his mouth.

Doctors at the Clínica Universidad de La Sabana stated on Friday that Bernal’s recovery was continuing “as expected” and following “a favourable trend.”

“Having had a 95% chance of becoming a paraplegic and nearly losing my life doing what I love to do most, today I want to thank God, @ClinicaUsabana [the Clínica Universidad de La Sabana – ed], all its specialists for doing the impossible, my family, @mafemotas [girlfriend Mafe Motas] and all of you for your good wishes,” Bernal wrote on Twitter and Instagram.

“I'm still in the ICU waiting for more surgeries but trusting in God everything will be fine.”

Bernal crashed into a bus that had stopped to drop off passengers while he was training on Monday. He was riding his time trial bike on the highway and he hit the rear of the bus at a reported 60kph. He fractured vertebrae, his right femur, his right patella and ribs, as well as suffering chest trauma and a punctured lung.

His friend and Ineos Grenadiers teammate Brandon Rivera has also been treated at the Clínica Universidad de La Sabana this week after crashing while training nearby on Thursday. He was treated for a fractured and dislocated elbow.